Max Verstappen wins rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang
Max Verstappen won the rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, his first victory since Abu Dhabi in 2025.
The race was moved to Sepang from Bahrain due to Middle East conflict and was the first wet race of the season under F1's new 2026 regulations and cars. Heavy rain delayed the start 90 minutes; more than half the grid had never raced Sepang since it last hosted F1 in 2017.
Verstappen delivered a masterclass in the wet, building a commanding lead before a late safety car erased it, but he held on to win from championship leader Kimi Antonelli in second and Lewis Hamilton third.
George Russell's power unit failed with five laps left, his third mechanical DNF this season. Oscar Piastri finished sixth but was hampered by poor safety-car timing and pit strategy.
Seven grands prix remain on the calendar with Antonelli still leading the championship.
- 90 minutes
- Start delay duration
- 10 plus seconds
- Verstappen's lead built
- 2017
- Last race at Sepang
- Verstappen, Antonelli, Hamilton
- Finishing positions
Why it mattersVerstappen's first win of the season comes after a difficult year for Red Bull, while the championship race tightens as Antonelli shows he can deliver under pressure.
AustraliaOscar Piastri's sixth place marks another frustrating result in what has been a challenging season for the Australian driver on the F1 grid.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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