News Summary
- Bottas went off on lap nine, leaving his Cadillac stranded in the gravel.
- Antonelli and Verstappen pitted for slick tyres under the Safety Car, with Antonelli retaining the lead.
- Hamilton, Norris and both Alpine drivers stayed out on the slicks they were already using.
Valtteri Bottas triggered a Safety Car on lap nine of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after losing control and becoming stranded in the gravel. The interruption came as Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen disputed the lead at Sepang, opening a pit-stop opportunity for the leading runners.
Antonelli entered the pits followed by Verstappen, with Mercedes completing a quick switch to slick tyres. The championship leader emerged still ahead of the Red Bull driver, preserving first place through the stops.
George Russell also pitted and retained third position, keeping the second Mercedes immediately behind the leading pair.
The Safety Car prompted the front-running group to switch to slicks as the Formula 1 race moved into another phase following its rain-delayed start.
Hamilton, Norris and Alpine stay out
Ferrari kept Lewis Hamilton on track on the slick tyres he was already using, rather than bringing him in with the leaders. Lando Norris and both Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, also stayed out.
Their decisions created a split between drivers taking fresh slicks during the neutralisation and those continuing on their existing sets. Antonelli nevertheless remained ahead of Verstappen, with Russell holding third after his own stop.
Bottas’s excursion followed the earlier disruption to the starting procedure, when the Cadillac driver was among those affected by technical difficulties. The cause of his lap-nine loss of control had not been established, and there was no confirmed connection to those earlier problems.
The race had already been interrupted before competitive running began, with Hamilton stopping and Leclerc reporting a software glitch during the suspended starting procedure.
GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang, including the restart and the developing battle between Antonelli and Verstappen.
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.
