Verstappen Wins Rain-Hit Bahrain GP in Malaysia as Russell's Late Retirement Hands Antonelli a Boost

A long-awaited win, in an unlikely location

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, a race relocated to Malaysia's Sepang circuit because of the ongoing Iran war, marking Formula 1's first event there since 2017. It was Verstappen's first win of the 2026 season and his first since the final race of the previous campaign, ending what had briefly looked like it might become his first winless season since his rookie year in 2015.

The race itself was delayed more than 90 minutes by heavy rain and formation-lap software problems, turning it into F1's first genuinely wet race of 2026.

Russell's race unravels late

George Russell appeared to be cruising toward the win, running behind a late safety car with just five laps remaining, when his Mercedes suddenly retired with an apparent power unit problem. Team radio captured the mood inside the garage, with one message noting, "You've almost got to laugh."

The retirement had real championship consequences. Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli finished second, and with Russell scoring nothing, Antonelli's championship lead over his own teammate stretched from 66 points to 84 with seven races still to run.

A rare bright spot for Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton provided a welcome moment for Ferrari, passing Red Bull's Isack Hadjar to finish third and end a five-race podium drought for the team. The result was particularly notable given Hamilton started well back in the field after Ferrari gambled on dry tires in changeable conditions.

The win also carried historical weight for Red Bull: it marked the first-ever Formula 1 victory for the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine partnership, and the first win for a Ford-badged engine since Jordan's last victory back in 2003.

Down the order

Charles Leclerc finished fourth, with Hadjar fifth and Oscar Piastri sixth. Fernando Alonso finished eighth in a result Aston Martin will count as their best of the season, while Lando Norris could only manage ninth on a difficult day for McLaren.