Max Verstappen secures first win of Formula 1 season in F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 at Sepang
Max Verstappen secures first win of Formula 1 season in F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 at Sepang
- Red Bull Racing’s four-time world champion edges out Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli in late battle
- Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton battles from the back of the field to claim final podium step
- Mulder wins ahead of Nguyen in weekend’s second race of Formuly Trophy Malaysia
- Martin Garrix headlines post-race celebrations with fantastic concert
4 October 2026 – Max Verstappen powered to victory from pole today in a hugely exciting Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 at Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
The Red Bull Racing star triumphed for the first time this F1 season following a rain-delayed start and after plenty of drama late on.
Verstappen needed to fend off a heated challenge from Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli and roar to the 72nd grand prix win of his career. They were joined on the podium by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who battled back from a rough start where he dropped towards the back of the field before claiming his place podium with just two laps to go.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, presented the Bahrain Grand Prix winner’s trophy to Verstappen, who was also given the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Medal by FIA President His Excellency Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The winning Bahrain Grand Prix trophy for constructors was awarded by Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.
The trophy for second place was awarded to Antonelli by Bahrain Motor Federation President and FIA Vice-President for Sport MENA His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa along with Motorsports Association of Malaysia President Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir.
Gulf Air Group Chairman of the Board His Excellency Khalid Taqi then handed over the trophy for third place to Hamilton.
Today’s 56-lap grand prix was the 16th round of the FIA F1 World Championship and it marked the return of F1 to SIC after nearly a decade.
Verstappen took the chequered flag in a total winning time of one hour 47 minutes and 14.808 seconds. He built a commanding lead of more than 10 seconds midway through the race after regaining the advantage from Antonelli early on. But after George Russell retired his Mercedes with five laps to go, the field bunched back together and Verstappen had Antonelli hot on his heels.
But the four-time world champion would not be denied, and he triumphed with a 2.307 seconds gap from Antonelli at the chequered flag.
Hamilton, meanwhile, put in a sensational drive after going behind by more than a minute in the race’s early stages. He gradually made his way up the order and with two laps to go, passed Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar to move into the top three. Hamilton crossed the line 4.919s from Verstappen.
Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc took fourth 7.258s back, while Hadjar had to settle for fifth 8.571s adrift.
Sixth through 10th, respectively, to secure the scoring positions were McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (+9.454s), Racing Bulls’s Liam Lawson (+12.753s), Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (+13.372s), McLaren’s Lando Norris (+13.993s), and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad (+15.928s).
Rounding out the classification were Nico Hulkenberg of Audi, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, Franco Colapinto of Alpine, Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon of Haas, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Carlos Sainz of Williams, Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi and Sergio Perez of Cadillac.
Not finishing were Russell, Alexander Albon of Williams, and Valtteri Bottas of Cadillac.
Mulder wins ahead of Nguyen in Formuly Trophy Malaysia
Juste Mulder won race two of the season-opening round of the 2026 Formula Trophy Malaysia, held in support of this weekend’s Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026.
Mulder completed the 11-lap race in 29:25.963. He triumphed with a narrow 0.521s gap from Evans GP teammate and runner-up Hoi Nam Anh Nguyen, while David Cosma-Cristofor, also from Evans GP, completed the podium in third 2.897s back.
With the result, Mulder joined Marco Manson of Pinnacle Motorsport as winners from the FTM’s curtain-raising meeting.
Martin Garrix headlines post-race celebrations with concert
Multi-platinum-selling hit-maker Martin Garrix put on a sensational live performance this evening to headline the post-race celebrations in the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026.
A large crowd of fans gathered at SIC to enjoy the concert.
Martin Garrix’s show was part of the fantastic programme of off-track entertainment put together by BIC at SIC this weekend.
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