Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory at the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on 4 October 2026 at the Sepang International Circuit. The Red Bull Racing driver beat Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by 2.307 seconds, with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton finishing third in a rain delayed race. The result gave Verstappen and Red Bull their first win of the 2026 season and marked the return of Formula 1 to Sepang after nine years.
What Is Formula 1 Racing and How Does an F1 Race Work?
Formula 1 is the highest class of open wheel, single seater car racing in the world. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motorsport based in Paris, sets the technical and sporting rules. The 2026 season features 23 Grands Prix, with drivers and teams scoring points at each round toward two annual world championships.
A Grand Prix is usually run over a distance of about 305 km, which means a set number of laps of a circuit. At Sepang, that distance meant 56 scheduled laps of the 5.543 km track. The driver who crosses the finish line first after the full distance wins the race. If heavy rain or another disruption stops normal running, points can be reduced based on how much distance the leader has completed under green flag conditions.
The FIA Formula 1 World Championship awards two titles each year. The Drivers Championship goes to the driver with the most points, and the Constructors Championship goes to the team whose two drivers score the most combined points. Points go to the top ten finishers in a full Grand Prix. There is no bonus point for the fastest lap since the rule was removed from the 2025 season.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points in Grand Prix | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Why Was the Bahrain Grand Prix Held in Malaysia?
The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 was a relocated race held at Sepang because the original Sakhir event could not take place. The Bahrain round, planned for 12 April 2026 at the Bahrain International Circuit, was cancelled along with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the outbreak of regional conflict. The FIA, Formula One Management and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia agreed to reinstate the Bahrain name at Sepang.
Bahrain is an island nation in the Gulf region of West Asia, with its capital at Manama. Its home track at Sakhir has hosted every Bahrain Grand Prix since the first edition in 2004. Title sponsorship comes from Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, which has backed the race since that first Gulf region Grand Prix. Keeping the Bahrain name in Malaysia protected ticket rights and race proceeds for Bahrain, while giving Formula 1 a full calendar.
The agreement was announced on 26 July 2026. The FIA and Formula One confirmed Sepang as host for 2 to 4 October 2026, between the Azerbaijan and Singapore rounds. The event became the 16th round of a 23 race championship. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the move, and Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said it showed Bahrain’s commitment to the sport.
Sepang International Circuit is located at Sepang in Selangor, Malaysia, about 60 km from Kuala Lumpur. Sepang hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix every year from 1999 to 2017 and retained its FIA Grade 1 licence, which is the top licence needed to host Formula 1. The circuit continued to host the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, so the basic facilities were ready. Bahrain arranged for 561 marshals and officials to travel to Malaysia, and Bahraini food and branding were part of the venue. This practice of a country hosting a race outside its borders has older examples in Switzerland, San Marino and Luxembourg.
| Feature | Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir | Sepang International Circuit, Sepang |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Sakhir, Bahrain | Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia |
| First Grand Prix | 2004 | 1999 |
| Circuit length | 5.412 km | 5.543 km |
| Scheduled race laps | 57 | 56 |
| Race distance | 308.238 km | 310.408 km |
| 2026 status | Cancelled April round | Hosted relocated race on 4 October 2026 |
How the Race Unfolded at Sepang
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was run on 4 October 2026 in difficult tropical weather. Heavy rain delayed the start by about 40 minutes, and the race faced changing grip as the track dried. A Safety Car period and a late retirement shaped the final order.
Max Verstappen started from pole position and controlled the race. The Red Bull Racing driver led home Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by 2.307 seconds after 55 classified laps. Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton recovered to finish third. Early in the race, a Safety Car was needed when Valtteri Bottas spun into the gravel on lap nine. Most drivers used that period to switch to slick tyres as the drying line improved.
The closing laps changed the championship picture. George Russell, running third for Mercedes, stopped at the side of the track with five laps left. Mercedes indicated a power unit problem. Russell had been close to teammate Antonelli at the time. His retirement promoted Hamilton to the podium and allowed Antonelli to extend his lead in the Drivers Championship.
The win was the first of the 2026 season for Verstappen and for Red Bull Racing. The FIA noted it was also the first victory for Red Bull Ford Powertrains. For Verstappen, it ended a long wait. His previous pole and win had come at the season finale in Abu Dhabi in 2025. The Sepang result also underlined Red Bull’s progress after a major upgrade to the RB22 car introduced around the Baku round.
How F1 Qualifying Works and How Verstappen Took Pole
Formula 1 qualifying is a knockout session that sets the starting order for the Grand Prix. The field is split into three parts called Q1, Q2 and Q3. The slowest drivers are eliminated after Q1 and Q2, while the fastest ten drivers fight for pole position in Q3. The driver with the fastest lap in Q3 starts the race from first place.
A standard qualifying hour runs Q1 for 18 minutes, Q2 for 15 minutes and Q3 for 12 minutes. Every driver can run as many laps as time allows. Lap times are deleted if a driver goes beyond track limits. Grid penalties for new power unit parts or driving offences are applied after the session, so the final grid can differ from the raw qualifying order.
The Sepang qualifying on 3 October 2026 belonged to Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver topped all three segments and took pole with a gap of 0.298 seconds to Hamilton. Ferrari driver Hamilton qualified second. Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar set the third fastest time but carried a five place grid penalty, which promoted championship leader Kimi Antonelli to third on the grid. Pole was Verstappen’s first of 2026 and Red Bull’s first of the year. Sepang is known for sudden showers, so dry pace plus clean execution in changing wind mattered.
Where Does the Result Leave the 2026 Title Race
The Sepang weekend strengthened Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli at the top of the 2026 Drivers Championship. Antonelli finished second and added 18 points, while his closest rival and teammate George Russell retired and scored no points. That swing increased the gap between the two Mercedes drivers with only a few rounds left in the season.
Max Verstappen scored 25 points for the win and confirmed that Red Bull Racing had returned to winning form. Lewis Hamilton scored 15 points for third, a strong result in his first season with Ferrari. The result kept Hamilton among the leading group in the standings, alongside Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. With 25 points for a win, 18 for second and 15 for third, a single retirement for a rival can change the title gap quickly.
The question of whether Verstappen can still win the 2026 title depends on the remaining races in Singapore, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. He faces a large gap to Antonelli. He would need repeated wins plus poor results for Mercedes to close that gap. The Sepang win kept the mathematical chance alive, but Antonelli remains the clear favourite because of his consistency through the season.
About Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing
Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 at Hasselt in Belgium. He holds both Belgian and Dutch citizenship but races under the Dutch flag. He is 29 years old (as of October 2026). His father Jos Verstappen is a former Formula 1 driver from the Netherlands, and his mother Sophie Kumpen is a former champion karter from Belgium.
Verstappen entered Formula 1 at 17 years with Toro Rosso in 2015, the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix weekend. He moved to Red Bull Racing in 2016 and won on debut for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix at 18 years and 228 days, the youngest winner in Formula 1 history. He won four straight Drivers Championships in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He entered 2026 with 71 Grand Prix wins, 48 pole positions and more than 120 podiums.
Red Bull Racing is based at Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom and competes with Red Bull Ford powertrains in 2026. Talk during 2026 about a possible move for Verstappen to Mercedes or McLaren did not change his position. Verstappen raced the Sepang weekend as a Red Bull Racing driver and delivered the team’s first win of the year. The result showed the value of the team’s late season development rather than any change of team.
The Way Forward After Sepang
Formula 1 left Sepang for the next round in Singapore, continuing a run of three straight race weekends with Azerbaijan and Singapore. The 2026 calendar stayed at 23 races after the Sepang replacement. Teams now carry data on tyre wear, heat and sudden rain from Sepang into the final flyaway races.
For Bahrain, the Malaysia weekend protected the Gulf Air title and kept fans engaged despite the loss of the Sakhir date. Gulf Air announced plans for direct links toward Kuala Lumpur to support fans travelling between the two countries. For Malaysia, the successful staging showed that Sepang still meets the top standard for Formula 1 after nine years away. It also revived interest in ticket demand for Sepang and in a possible future return of a Malaysia named race.
Key Takeaways
- Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing won the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on 4 October 2026 at Sepang.
- Verstappen beat Kimi Antonelli by 2.307 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton finishing third after George Russell retired with a power unit fault.
- The race was the 16th round of the 2026 championship and the first Formula 1 race at Sepang International Circuit since the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.
- The Bahrain round was moved from Sakhir to the 5.543 km Sepang circuit after cancellation of the April date, under a 26 July 2026 agreement between the FIA, Formula One and Bahrain and Malaysia.
- Verstappen, born on 30 September 1997 at Hasselt and racing under the Dutch flag, is a four time world champion (2021 to 2024) with Red Bull Racing.
