News Summary
- Max Verstappen won at Sepang to end his wait for a first victory of the 2026 season.
- The result delivered the first Grand Prix win for the Red Bull Ford Powertrains project.
- Verstappen praised the team’s development after a difficult start to the year.
Max Verstappen described winning in the first season of Red Bull’s own power unit project as “pretty impressive” after taking victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday, 4 October. The result ended his win drought in 2026 and gave Red Bull Ford Powertrains its first success in Formula 1.
Verstappen finished ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton at Sepang after a race disrupted by heavy rain, technical problems during the starting procedure and multiple Safety Car interventions. Having lost the lead at the start, the Dutchman recovered to take control of the race.
Speaking after the finish at Sepang, Verstappen singled out the significance of delivering a victory with the power unit developed through Red Bull’s partnership with Ford.
“To win our first race in our first year with our own power unit is pretty impressive,” Verstappen said.
The achievement followed a difficult opening to the season, with Red Bull having to improve its car while learning about its new engine package. Sepang provided the strongest evidence yet of that progress: Verstappen converted his first pole position of the year into his first victory.
“I’m incredibly proud of everyone,” he added.
Verstappen recovers from troubled start
The victory required Verstappen to overcome difficulties before and after the race began. He was among the drivers who reported acceleration problems during the initial formation procedure, which was subsequently suspended.
When the race eventually started, both Mercedes drivers moved ahead of him. Verstappen recovered, passed George Russell and then took the lead from Antonelli following the first Safety Car period.
From there, Red Bull had the pace to establish a substantial advantage. A late Safety Car removed that cushion and set up another restart, but Verstappen retained the lead to complete the win.
The full Bahrain Grand Prix race report and results detail how Hamilton recovered to the podium and Russell retired during the closing stages.
Red Bull turns recent progress into victory
The result also built on Verstappen’s performance in Azerbaijan, where he had finished close behind Russell. At Sepang, Red Bull completed the next step by turning its improved competitiveness into a winning weekend.
Verstappen now has 188 championship points, level with Lando Norris, although Norris remains ahead in fifth place in the standings. Antonelli continues to lead with 320 points after finishing second in Malaysia.
Formula 1 returns from 9–11 October for the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action throughout the weekend.
F1 today: FAQ
Who won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October, taking his first victory of the 2026 F1 season. Kimi Antonelli finished second, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.
Why was the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delayed?
Heavy rain initially delayed the start at Sepang. Several drivers then experienced power delivery problems during the formation procedure, forcing race control to suspend the start again. The race eventually began more than 90 minutes after its scheduled time.
How far ahead is Kimi Antonelli in the F1 championship?
Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 84 points after finishing second at Sepang while his Mercedes teammate retired. Antonelli has 320 points, Russell has 236 and Lewis Hamilton is third with 214.
