Verstappen wins first race of the season at Bahrain

Max Verstappen crossed the finish line first at the Sepang Circuit to win his first race of the season. 

The result was Verstappen’s first victory since 2025 and Red Bull’s first of the campaign. It also delivered Red Bull Powertrains its maiden pole and win.

The Red Bull driver, who started from pole, finished the Bahrain Grand Prix with a 2-second lead over Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium with a few seconds ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. 

Rain heavily impacted the race in Bahrain, delaying the start by over 30 minutes. The first attempt at a start was abandoned after some cars showed signs of a software glitch on the formation lap. 

When the race finally started, Verstappen briefly lost the lead to Mercedes duo Antonelli and George Russell. 

He quickly recovered and led for most of the race, briefly losing the top spot when a Virtual Safety Car allowed a pit stop. 

The Dutchman then took back the lead with four laps to go and held it until the end to win for the first time in 2026.

With about seven races to go, Verstappen, currently ranked sixth in the drivers’ standings, is anything but a contender. But he will not have to end the season without a victory.

A suspected power unit failure forced Russell to retire, giving up his third-place position and denting his title fight. 

Alex Albon had already retired with a gearbox failure, while Valtteri Bottas spun into the gravel earlier in the race and couldn’t continue.

Antonelli’s second-place finish now puts him at the top of the standings, with an 84-point advantage over his teammate. 

Mercedes has an over-150-point lead in the constructors’ standings and looks well on course to win the title for the first time since 2021.