Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: Verstappen wins for Red Bull

Race report · Compiled from live Jolpica F1 + TheSportsDB + OpenF1 feeds at the time of publication.

FORMULA 1 2026 · Round 16

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · 2026-10-04

Podium

Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix — held this season at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — on Sunday, 4 October 2026, to take Round 16 of the Formula 1 World Championship. Verstappen, starting from pole position, crossed the line in a total race time of one hour, 47 minutes and 14.808 seconds. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) finished second, 2.307 seconds adrift, with Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) completing the podium in third, a further 2.612 seconds behind.

Verstappen controlled proceedings from the front and also set the fastest lap of the race, underlining the pace of the Red Bull throughout the afternoon. The most eye-catching drive in the field came from Arvid Lindblad, who advanced from 22nd on the grid to tenth at the flag — a gain of twelve positions — to secure a championship point for the RB F1 Team. Liam Lawson similarly impressed, rising from eleventh to seventh. Isack Hadjar produced a measured recovery from eighth on the grid to fifth, adding further reward for Red Bull’s junior programme. Antonelli’s second place kept him firmly in contention at the head of the drivers’ standings, while Hamilton’s podium maintained Ferrari’s pressure on the top two constructors.

Lewis Hamilton was the highest-finishing British driver on the day, converting a second-place grid slot into third at the chequered flag. The Ferrari driver was unable to match the pace of Verstappen or Antonelli across the race distance, ultimately finishing 4.919 seconds behind the winner, yet he secured fifteen championship points in a result that keeps Ferrari’s challenge alive in both the drivers’ and constructors’ standings. Hamilton’s consistency in the second half of the season continues to strengthen his position in third in the drivers’ championship.

In the drivers’ championship, Andrea Kimi Antonelli extends his lead to 84 points over George Russell (Mercedes) in second, with Antonelli now on 320 points to Russell’s 236. Lewis Hamilton moves to 214 points in third, leaving him 106 points behind the championship leader with rounds remaining. In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes consolidate their position at the summit on 556 points, with Ferrari second on 405 points — a gap of 151 points. McLaren remain third on 316 points, whilst Red Bull’s haul from Sepang lifts them to 298 points in fourth, narrowing the gap to the Woking outfit to 18 points and setting up a compelling battle for third in the constructors’ championship.

Watch race highlights and analysis

Race classification — top 10

Drivers’ championship after Round 16

Constructors’ championship after Round 16

Race data via Jolpica F1 API, TheSportsDB (race media), OpenF1 (driver headshots + team colours). Classification, timings, championship standings and event metadata sourced live at the time of publication.