Verstappen ends pole wait at Bahrain GP in Malaysia but Russell risks losing more ground
Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russell faces a difficult weekend as he struggles to keep pace with his teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Why it matters
The performance shifts in Formula One impact the ongoing world championship standings and team development strategies.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen raises a first in celebration after finishing qualifying 0.298sec faster than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull's Max Verstappen raises a first in celebration after finishing qualifying 0.298sec faster than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Formula One 2026 Verstappen ends pole wait at Bahrain GP in Malaysia but Russell risks losing more ground Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton starts second on the front row
Kimi Antonelli in fourth, George Russell down in eighth
Prefer the Guardian on Google The wait has been long for Max Verstappen but when the Dutchman finally claimed his first pole position of the year he did it in no little style. Taking the top spot for Red Bull at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Verstappen was all but untouchable.
Also covering this story
11 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen tops FP1
‘It’s happening in Malaysia’: Bahrain GP switch surprised race chief
Bahrain circuit chief recalls surprise call that moved race to Sepang
Double top 10 practice finishes for Lawson in unpredictable Malaysia
F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Leclerc tops FP2 with Mercedes seventh and eighth
F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen pips Russell to top FP1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Max Verstappen tops first practice
Verstappen takes first 2026 pole ahead of Hamilton
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia LIVE: Practice Three & Qualifying
Bahrain GP in Malaysia: F1 fans complain of gridlocked traffic, over three-hour waits for shuttles
Three drivers facing grid penalties for F1's Malaysia return
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in