Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen wins first race of 2026 F1 season in wild, rain-hit Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton surges back
Max Verstappen won a chaotic, rain-affected 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia, marking his first victory of the season. The race saw multiple delays and safety car interventions, with Lewis Hamilton finishing third after a strategic recovery.
Why it matters
The race represents a significant shift in the 2026 F1 championship standings and highlights the impact of weather and strategy on modern racing.
Max Verstappen overcame a chaotic, twice-delayed, rain-affected race to claim his first win of the 2026 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, while Kimi Antonelli strengthened his title bid with second place as George Russell retired late on. <p>Formula 1's return to Sepang after a nine-year absence produced the most remarkable race day of the season, with heavy rain before the start finally delivering the campaign's first wet-weather action at its 16th round.</p><p>The start time was twice pushed back by delays before the 55 laps were twice disrupted by Safety Cars. Verstappen beat Antonelli to victory, while Lewis Hamilton stunningly fought back from dropping to 18th after a Ferrari tyre-strategy gamble backfired to claim third place.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/grandprix/bahrain/results/2026/race" target="_blank">Bahrain GP race result</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/standings">F1 2026 standings</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/schedule-results">F1 2026 calendar</a></strong></li><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/ContentPromo" target="_blank"><strong>Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more</strong></a><strong>📱</strong></li><li><strong>Not got Sky?
Also covering this story
19 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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