Summary
- Verstappen starts ahead of Hamilton, with Antonelli promoted to third.
- Hadjar drops from third to eighth after a five-place penalty.
- Colapinto’s 15-place penalty and Lindblad’s 30-place penalty put them on the final row.
Three penalties reshape the projected starting grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, promoting Kimi Antonelli to third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad all lose positions after exceeding power unit component allocations.
Hadjar qualified third but receives a five-place drop, placing him eighth. Colapinto qualified 15th and carries 15 places of penalties, while Lindblad qualified 16th and must start at the back after accumulating a 30-place sanction.
The front row remains unchanged. Verstappen claimed his first pole of the 2026 Formula 1 season with 1:35.130, beating Hamilton by 0.298 seconds.
Hadjar’s penalty promotes Antonelli and Russell
Hadjar’s drop moves Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and George Russell forward by one position. Antonelli is therefore set to start third, alongside Leclerc, while the McLaren drivers occupy the third row.
Russell moves from eighth in qualifying to seventh on the grid, alongside Hadjar. Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto retain ninth and tenth respectively.
Colapinto and Lindblad move to the final row
Colapinto’s total combines ten places for an engine allocation infringement and five carried over from his collision in Baku. Lindblad’s component changes produce a penalty exceeding 15 places, requiring a back-of-grid start.
With both drivers moving behind the unpenalised field, the six Q1 eliminations gain two positions. Hülkenberg is projected to start 15th, followed by Bearman, Ocon, Albon, Bottas and Pérez.
Bahrain GP in Malaysia: projected starting grid
| Grid | Driver | Team | Qualifying position | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull | 1 | — |
| 2 | L HAMILTON | Ferrari | 2 | — |
| 3 | K ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 4 | — |
| 4 | C LECLERC | Ferrari | 5 | — |
| 5 | L NORRIS | McLaren | 6 | — |
| 6 | O PIASTRI | McLaren | 7 | — |
| 7 | G RUSSELL | Mercedes | 8 | — |
| 8 | I HADJAR | Red Bull | 3 | +5 |
| 9 | P GASLY | Alpine | 9 | — |
| 10 | G BORTOLETO | Audi | 10 | — |
| 11 | L LAWSON | Racing Bulls | 11 | — |
| 12 | F ALONSO | Aston Martin | 12 | — |
| 13 | C SAINZ | Williams | 13 | — |
| 14 | L STROLL | Aston Martin | 14 | — |
| 15 | N HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 17 | — |
| 16 | O BEARMAN | Haas | 18 | — |
| 17 | E OCON | Haas | 19 | — |
| 18 | A ALBON | Williams | 20 | — |
| 19 | V BOTTAS | Cadillac | 21 | — |
| 20 | S PÉREZ | Cadillac | 22 | — |
| 21 | F COLAPINTO | Alpine | 15 | +15 |
| 22 | A LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls | 16 | +30 — back of grid |
Projected grid after the three confirmed penalties, subject to FIA publication and further decisions. The penalty column shows the sanction imposed, rather than the actual number of positions lost within the 22-car field.
Formula 1 continues this weekend, from 2–4 October, in Malaysia, which hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is F1 qualifying at Sepang?
Qualifying starts on Saturday, 3 October, at 16:00 Malaysia time. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney.
Did Lewis Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?
No. Hamilton received a warning after impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during FP2 at Sepang. Ferrari was fined €10,000, but Hamilton will not lose grid positions over the incident.
Why were F1 lap times at Sepang over four seconds slower than expected?
Pirelli identified low grip, dust and an abrasive surface that increased tyre sliding and degradation. Friday’s benchmark was more than four seconds slower than its qualifying simulation reference, rather than four seconds slower than the 2017 race weekend.
Where will Isack Hadjar start at Sepang?
Hadjar is projected to start eighth, after qualifying third and receiving a five-place penalty.
