Verstappen Takes First Win of 2026 in Rain-Hit Bahrain GP at Sepang

Max Verstappen ended his wait for a 2026 victory as Kimi Antonelli finished second and Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th during the race to complete the podium.

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday, overcoming a difficult start and a late safety-car restart to secure his first victory of the season.

The Red Bull driver finished 2.307 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after 55 laps. Lewis Hamilton took third for Ferrari, 4.919 seconds behind the winner, while George Russell retired late after running in a podium position.

Rain and tire choices reshape the opening

The start was delayed by more than 90 minutes amid heavy rain and a further interruption after technical problems affected cars during the formation laps.

When racing finally began, Verstappen and both Mercedes drivers were on intermediate tires. Hamilton, who had qualified and started second, gambled on slicks as the circuit dried.

The opening favored Mercedes. Antonelli and Russell both passed Verstappen, leaving the polesitter third and facing an immediate recovery of his own.

Hamilton’s tire choice proved costly initially, dropping him to 18th during the race. His eventual podium therefore came after recovering positions lost on track, rather than starting near the back.

Verstappen retakes control

Verstappen passed Russell before Valtteri Bottas’ trip into the gravel brought out the safety car. The interruption gave the intermediate runners an opportunity to switch to slicks and bunched the field, helping Hamilton recover from his early losses.

At the restart, Verstappen went around the outside of Antonelli at Turn 1 to reclaim the lead. He then established a cushion as the race settled into dry-weather running.

Alex Albon’s later stoppage brought another interruption. Antonelli briefly inherited the lead when Verstappen pitted under the virtual safety car, before Mercedes’ subsequent stop returned the Red Bull to first.

The full safety car erased Verstappen’s advantage, leaving him with another restart to manage and only four racing laps remaining.

Hamilton reaches the podium as Russell retires

Russell stopped while running third before the final restart. Reuters reported a suspected power-unit issue, ending the Mercedes driver’s afternoon with 49 completed laps.

Verstappen controlled the closing sprint ahead of Antonelli. Behind them, Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar to secure third, and Charles Leclerc also overtook the Red Bull driver to finish fourth.

Hadjar took fifth ahead of Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson.

Fernando Alonso finished eighth, holding off Lando Norris to give Aston Martin four points after its encouraging qualifying session. Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.

A birthday on Wednesday, pole position on Saturday and his first win of the season on Sunday. Not a bad week for Max Verstappen.