Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Red Bull upgrade enlivens F1
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, signaling a strong performance recovery for Red Bull following recent technical upgrades. Lewis Hamilton will start second, setting the stage for a competitive race between the two rivals.
Why it matters
The race highlights the competitive nature of Formula 1 and the impact of mid-season engineering upgrades on team performance.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Verstappen took his first pole position of 2026 at Sepang
F1 Correspondent Published 3 October 2026 Even Lewis Hamilton, starting from his equal best grid position of the year in second place, fears Max Verstappen will be tough to beat in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Verstappen has dominated the weekend so far on Formula 1's return to the Sepang track for the first time since 2017.
Hamilton joins him on the front row to revive memories of their no-holds-barred title battle five years ago.
But at nearly 0.3 seconds slower in qualifying, and with the pace Verstappen has shown all weekend, Hamilton's mindset on Saturday was to "just try my best to hold on to him tomorrow".
Also covering this story
13 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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