Max Verstappen Won a Rain-Delayed Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang as George Russell's Power Unit Failed Late On
Red Bull's first win of 2026 came in torrential rain in Malaysia, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th to third and Kimi Antonelli stretched his title lead to 84 points with seven rounds left.
Sunday, October 4, 2026/2 min read
Max Verstappen took pole position and converted it into Red Bull's first victory of 2026 on Sunday 4 October, winning a chaotic, rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. According to Formula 1's race report, he finished 2.307 seconds ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli over 56 laps.
A race that Bahrain could not host
The event carries the Bahrain name but was held in Malaysia. The race was originally scheduled for 12 April at the Bahrain International Circuit, and it was moved to Sepang after the war in Iran broke out, under an agreement between Formula 1, the FIA, Bahrain and Malaysia.
Rain, delays and two Safety Cars
Heavy rain forced a 40-minute postponement, and the start procedure was suspended when drivers encountered power problems on the formation lap. The first Safety Car came on lap nine after Valtteri Bottas spun, and the field then swapped from intermediate tyres to slicks. A second Safety Car was needed after Alex Albon's Williams stopped on track, as Sky Sports reports.
Hamilton's gamble, then his recovery
Lewis Hamilton started on the front row on slick tyres, a Ferrari call that backfired when the track proved too wet. He fell as far as 18th, then fought back to finish third, with team-mate Charles Leclerc fourth. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was fifth.
Russell's blow to the title fight
The race swung the championship. George Russell, running third, stopped late behind the second Safety Car with a suspected power-unit failure. Antonelli, second at the flag, extended his lead over Russell from 66 points to 84, with seven rounds remaining. That is a formidable margin for any driver to claw back.
Verstappen was measured about the result. "It's a really nice one, after the year that we've had and the progression that we've made," he said.
What it means
For Red Bull the win is a morale boost after a winless start to the year, and it came on a day when Ferrari's strategy gamble and Mercedes' reliability both cost points. For the championship, it all but settles the shape of the run-in: Antonelli is the clear leader, and Russell needs near-perfect weekends. The next round will show whether this was a one-off in the wet or a sign that Red Bull is catching up.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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