Summary
- Verstappen took his first pole of 2026, beating Hamilton by 0.298s at Sepang.
- He described Red Bull’s first pole with its own engine as a special achievement after a difficult start to the season.
- The Dutchman wants victory but says several factors must work in Red Bull’s favour on Sunday.
Max Verstappen described his Sepang pole as “something special” for Red Bull, celebrating the team’s first pole position with its own engine after the difficulties it faced earlier in 2026. The Dutchman will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia alongside Lewis Hamilton after beating the Ferrari driver by 0.298s on Saturday.
Verstappen recorded 1:35.130 to lead Formula 1 qualifying at Sepang. His team-mate Isack Hadjar finished third before his grid penalty, completing a strong session for Red Bull on the championship’s return to the Malaysian circuit.
Speaking to Sky Sports during the post-qualifying trackside interview at Sepang, Verstappen explained that keeping the tyres under control was central to his performance. The heat made it easy to push them beyond their ideal operating window during a flying lap.
“Well, I think the whole of qualifying, the car was quite good, and in a good window, so we were just trying not to make big mistakes. Trying to, of course, stay on top of the tyres, because they are very hot and it’s easy to overheat them on the lap. But yeah, I think it worked out well,” Verstappen said.
“Not too many big problems, but at the same time, for us, it’s just an amazing moment to get our first pole. From where we come from in the beginning of the year, with all the difficulties that we had, and to get the first pole with our own engine, it’s something special.”
Verstappen wants victory, rather than another podium
The significance of the result extended beyond Verstappen’s own lap. He singled out the engine milestone and Red Bull’s recovery from its difficult opening to the season, giving the pole a broader meaning for the team.
His performance put Red Bull ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes in the grid-setting session. The complete times and positions are available in the full Bahrain GP qualifying results from Sepang.
Asked whether a victory would feel particularly rewarding after the work required to reach this point, Verstappen made clear that winning remains the objective. However, he stopped short of presenting pole position as a guarantee of Sunday’s result.
“Yeah, well, as a team, I think we want to win. We’re here to win, we’re not here to, of course, just grab podiums,” he said.
“So, yeah, we are looking forward to tomorrow, but we also know that it’s not going to be that straightforward. There are so many things that we still need to see that have to work well and are in our favour, but we’ll see tomorrow.”
Hamilton joins Verstappen on the front row
Verstappen will have Hamilton alongside him, while Hadjar’s five-place penalty provisionally promotes championship leader Kimi Antonelli to third. The starting order differs from the qualifying classification because Hadjar, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad all carry penalties.
The consequences are detailed in the projected Sepang starting grid after the three penalties. Hadjar is set to start eighth, with Colapinto and Lindblad on the final row, subject to the FIA’s final confirmation and any further decisions.
Sunday’s race begins at 15:00 Malaysia time, equivalent to 08:00 BST in the UK, 03:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 12:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne. Verstappen starts with the advantage of pole, but his own assessment is that Red Bull still needs to bring several elements together to turn Saturday’s achievement into victory.
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
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.
