Verstappen wins chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia

Max Verstappen won his first race of the season on Sunday, taking victory in a chaotic, storm-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.

The four-time world champion finished 2.307 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari after a thrilling recovery drive, The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP.

It was Verstappen’s 72nd career win, his first since Abu Dhabi last year, and Red Bull’s first of 2026. Nine years ago, he also won the last Formula One race held at Sepang.

“We made the right call”

“It is really nice to win after the year we’ve had and all the progression we’ve made,” said the 29-year-old Dutchman. “It was very hectic with a lot of different things, but we made the right call with the inters.”

Antonelli said second place was “the maximum we could have done”. “I was more than a minute back after we made the wrong call on tyres at the start and everyone was pulling away,” he said.

How the race unfolded

• The delay: a tropical storm held up the start by 100 minutes, and half the field began on intermediate tyres
• The start: both Mercedes swept past Verstappen, with Antonelli leading into turn one ahead of George Russell
• Hamilton’s slide: starting second on soft slicks, he had no grip and fell down the order
• Lap nine: Valtteri Bottas slid into the gravel, bringing out the safety car; almost everyone switched to dry tyres
• The decisive move: at the restart, Verstappen swept round Antonelli to take a lead he never lost
• Late drama: a virtual and then full safety car; Russell retired with a power failure, and Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar in a four-lap dash to take the final podium place

Hamilton’s drive was the story of the afternoon. Staying out on old tyres at the safety car, he carved through the field, passing Lawson for fifth by lap 23 and closing to within six seconds of Hadjar before both pitted on lap 31. “This tyre feels terrible,” he said of his new mediums, but he still found a way onto the podium.

The top ten

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who fought back from last in the early laps
5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), his best result of the season
9. Lando Norris (McLaren), the reigning world champion
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

Championship

Antonelli’s lead in the drivers’ championship grew to 84 points over his Mercedes team-mate Russell, whose late retirement cost him dearly.

Why it matters

Verstappen has had a difficult season, but this win shows he and Red Bull are still a force when conditions turn wild. With Antonelli pulling clear in the title race, the Dutchman’s comeback adds a new twist to the final rounds of the season. Read our report on Manchester City’s appeal, the other big international sports story this weekend.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune and AFP.