News Summary
- Verstappen wins the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, giving Red Bull Ford Powertrains its first victory.
- Antonelli extends his championship lead to 84 points after Russell retires, while Hamilton recovers to third.
- The FIA explains the formation-lap power failures, Norris receives a reprimand and Singapore hosts the next race on 9–11 October.
Max Verstappen’s first victory of 2026, Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable recovery and another costly retirement for George Russell led Sunday’s F1 news. The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delivered a disrupted start, changing conditions and a significant shift in the championship.
Kimi Antonelli finished second and extended his advantage over Russell to 84 points, while the FIA outlined why several cars lost power before the race. Here are the main stories from Sunday 4 October, with the complete reports and the next weekend’s schedule.
Verstappen ends his win drought at Sepang
Verstappen won for the first time this season, finishing 2.307 seconds ahead of Antonelli after 55 laps. The result also delivered the first victory for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
The Dutchman lost positions at the start but recovered as the race transitioned from intermediates to slicks. Hamilton completed the podium, followed by Charles Leclerc and Isack Hadjar.
Read the full Bahrain Grand Prix report and Sepang race results.
Antonelli moves 84 points clear of Russell
Antonelli’s second place earned 18 points, while Russell’s late retirement left him without a score. The championship leader now has 320 points, compared with his teammate’s 236.
Hamilton remains third with 214 points, followed by Leclerc on 191. Norris and Verstappen both have 188 points as the season moves towards its final seven Grands Prix.
See the updated drivers’ and constructors’ championship standings after Sepang.
When could Antonelli become champion?
Antonelli cannot clinch the championship in Singapore, even with the additional points available during the Sprint weekend. After that round, six Grands Prix would still offer 150 points.
Austin is the earliest possible opportunity, but the calculation involves more than Russell: Hamilton and the other mathematically eligible contenders must also be accounted for.
Our explanation of when Antonelli can win the 2026 F1 championship sets out the points available and the conditions required.
Hamilton refuses to abandon his tyre gamble
Hamilton’s third place followed an opening phase in which Ferrari’s decision to start on slicks left him more than a minute behind. Rather than switch tyres again, he committed to waiting for the circuit to dry.
“We’ve already made the decision, we have to live with it and we’ll stay out here until this bloody place dries,” Hamilton explained.
The recovery eventually brought him back into contention, with the late Safety Car creating an opportunity to fight for the podium. Read Hamilton’s account of the tyre gamble and his comeback.
Wolff confirms a power-unit failure for Russell
Russell was running in a podium position when his Mercedes stopped, turning a potentially manageable points loss into a major championship setback.
Toto Wolff confirmed that the retirement involved the power unit and said the Safety Car had not caused the failure. The problem compounded a weekend in which Mercedes struggled to deliver the performance expected from its upgraded car.
Read Wolff’s reaction to Russell’s engine failure and Mercedes’ difficult Sepang weekend.
FIA explains the formation-lap power failures
The FIA attributed the pre-race problems to a combination of low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy-management settings and Sepang’s sector configuration.
An updated software release removed the energy-limit constraint in the affected sectors during the delay, allowing teams to make changes before racing began. The governing body said the problem had escaped detection in testing and on the laps to the grid.
The FIA’s explanation of the formation-lap power failures details the intervention and the review planned with teams and manufacturers.
Norris reprimanded after Safety Car near-miss
Norris received a reprimand after nearly hitting teammate Oscar Piastri as the field slowed behind the Safety Car. He took avoiding action and ran through the gravel before rejoining.
His ninth-place result remains unchanged. The stewards’ decision added no race-time penalty, so Norris retained the two points earned at Sepang.
Read the full account of Norris’s reprimand and the incident with Piastri.
Singapore is next — with a Sprint weekend
The championship returns immediately for the Singapore Grand Prix on 9–11 October. Marina Bay hosts a Sprint weekend, with practice and Sprint Qualifying on Friday, the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday.
Sunday’s race starts at 20:00 local time, equivalent to 13:00 in the UK, 08:00 Eastern Time, 05:00 Pacific Time, 17:30 in India and 23:00 in Sydney and Melbourne.
Check the complete Singapore Grand Prix dates, Sprint schedule and international start times.
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.
