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Sepang in the rain: Verstappen's first win, Antonelli's getaway
Sunday 4 October, Sepang. Round sixteen of twenty-three, fifty-five laps, and an afternoon that almost never started. Max Verstappen takes his first win of the year, Kimi Antonelli finishes second and pulls away, George Russell stops on the main straight and lets his championship go.
A Bahrain Grand Prix run in Malaysia
The name of the race and the place of the race no longer sit together. Scheduled for 12 April at the Bahrain International Circuit, the event was removed from the calendar along with the Saudi Arabian round after the outbreak of the war in Iran at the end of February. Formula 1, the FIA, Bahrain and Malaysia then agreed terms: the race returned to the calendar at Sepang while keeping its Bahrain Grand Prix name. Bahrain kept the rights and the ticket revenue.
Sepang was a fixture from 1999 to 2017, and the circuit sits 320 km from Singapore, which turns the calendar into a logical triple header. The crowd followed: 261,000 spectators across the weekend.
If you are new to the series, our racing pieces are gathered in the Formula 1 range, by driver and by circuit.
Same name, different continent: Sunday's results are filed under "Bahrain Grand Prix", not under "Malaysian Grand Prix".
A 93 minute wait, then an aborted start
The storm arrived an hour before the scheduled 3 pm local start. After a forty minute delay the grid went out for the formation lap on intermediate tyres, and several cars, Verstappen's and Hamilton's among them, lost power delivery. Verstappen told his team over the radio that he could not accelerate.
Race control suspended the procedure, showed the red flag and sent everyone back to the pits. The real start came at 16:33 local time, 93 minutes late. It was the first wet race under the new power unit rules.
The race turned on lap nine
Verstappen had started from pole, on a 1:35.130. He lost it at turn one to both Mercedes, Antonelli and Russell. Then Valtteri Bottas spun on lap nine, the Safety Car came out, and that neutralisation opened the only window of the race: switching from intermediates to slicks while the track dried.
Whoever took it won the race. Verstappen came back through, took the lead and was never troubled again: 2.307s clear of Antonelli at the flag. It is his first win of 2026, and the first for Red Bull with its new engine. His wardrobe sits in the Max Verstappen collection.
Hamilton and Leclerc, third and fourth from the back
The two Ferraris had taken the opposite gamble: slick tyres on a wet track at the start. They dropped to the back of the field, and then the race proved them right. Lewis Hamilton finishes third at 4.919s, Charles Leclerc fourth at 7.258s, without leading a single lap.
That is the Sunday recovery drive, the one people talk about on Monday. The Hamilton pieces are in the Lewis Hamilton collection, Leclerc's sit right next to them.
Behind them: Isack Hadjar fifth, Oscar Piastri sixth, Liam Lawson seventh, Fernando Alonso eighth, Lando Norris ninth, Arvid Lindblad tenth.
Russell: a championship lost on the main straight
George Russell ran at the front all afternoon. With a handful of laps left, during the final Safety Car period, his power unit failed and he stopped on the pit straight. Three retirements in all: Russell, Alexander Albon with a gearbox failure, Bottas with his spin.
The gap between Antonelli and Russell in the standings goes from 66 to 84 points. On the same Sunday, Antonelli scored eighteen points and his rival none. His collection holds only four pieces, the shortest of our driver collections and the one leading the championship.
The standings after Sepang
Drivers: Antonelli 320 points, Russell 236, Hamilton 214, Leclerc 191, Norris 188, Verstappen 188. Constructors: Mercedes 556, Ferrari 405, McLaren 316, Red Bull 298.
There are 175 points left to hand out. Antonelli cannot be champion yet, and Hamilton, 106 points back, is still mathematically alive. Next round: Singapore, on 11 October, 320 km away.
Sepang itself does not belong to our circuit collection: it holds Monaco, Spa, Suzuka, Silverstone, Albert Park and Madrid as clothing, and seven layouts on canvas. A circuit only joins it once it is on the calendar to stay.
Three names that came out of this Sunday
A race changes what you feel like wearing on Monday. Here are the three pieces that match what happened at Sepang.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
Max Verstappen, from pole, ahead of Kimi Antonelli by 2.307s and Lewis Hamilton by 4.919s. It is his first win of the 2026 season.
Why was the race held at Sepang?
The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for 12 April, was removed from the calendar along with the Saudi Arabian round after the outbreak of the war in Iran. It was reinstated at Sepang in Malaysia, keeping its name and its rights.
Why was the start delayed?
A storm an hour before the scheduled time, then a power delivery failure on several cars during the formation lap, a red flag and a new procedure. The real start came at 16:33, 93 minutes late.
How does the championship stand?
Antonelli leads on 320 points ahead of Russell on 236, Hamilton on 214 and Leclerc on 191. Mercedes lead the constructors on 556 points. Seven races are left and 175 points are still available.
Which race comes next?
Singapore, on 11 October 2026, 320 km from Sepang.
