Max Verstappen ended Red Bull’s wait for a victory this season with a commanding win in a rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix staged in Malaysia, as Lewis Hamilton charged from the back to claim third.
The race at Sepang was delayed by 90 minutes after torrential rain and a string of technical glitches turned the formation laps into a slow, confusing procession behind the Safety Car.
Officials then faced further questions over how to restore the starting order before the race could begin.
Verstappen led home Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli, who strengthened his grip on the championship after team-mate George Russell retired from third with a suspected engine problem five laps from the finish.
Antonelli now leads Russell by 84 points, delivering a potentially devastating blow to his rival’s title hopes.
Hamilton completed the podium after a remarkable recovery.
The Ferrari driver gambled on soft slick tyres for the wet start and quickly paid the price, sliding towards the back and losing almost a minute to the leaders.
He fought back through the field and passed Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar with three laps remaining.
Max Verstappen has ended his wait for a first race of the 2026 F1 season after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday
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The chaotic afternoon began with Verstappen and Hamilton on the front row, but their contrasting tyre choices immediately reshaped the race.
Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers started on intermediates, while Hamilton’s slicks proved unsuitable for the sodden track.
Once the race was underway, Antonelli and Russell swept past the front-row starters.
Verstappen recovered quickly, passing Russell on lap six and closing on Antonelli before a Safety Car was deployed on lap nine to clear Valtteri Bottas’s stricken Cadillac.
Max Verstappen produced his strongest race of the campaign in Bahrain on Sunday
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The leading drivers pitted for slick tyres, and Verstappen seized the lead at the restart, sweeping past Antonelli at Turn Four. Russell also slipped by the young Italian at the exit.
From there, the Red Bull driver controlled the race, gradually building a gap.
Antonelli later passed Russell on lap 21, appearing to settle the order behind Verstappen.
But a late Safety Car, triggered by Alex Albon’s damaged Williams, set up a four-lap sprint after the field changed to fresh tyres.
Verstappen was untroubled once more. Russell’s afternoon ended moments before the final restart when he pulled off just before Turn One, handing Antonelli a significant championship boost.
The retirement followed what had looked like a secure second place for Mercedes, and left the title leader with a huge advantage.
There was late drama further back, too.
Distracted by Russell’s stopped car, McLaren’s Lando Norris ran through the gravel at Turn One while avoiding team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen celebrates with Red Bull staff after his triumph in Bahrain
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He fell from eighth to 11th, then recovered to finish ninth, just behind Fernando Alonso.
Alonso’s result gave Aston Martin points for only the third time this season after their strongest showing of the year.
But the day belonged to Verstappen, whose first win of 2026 revived Red Bull’s campaign, and Hamilton, whose recovery salvaged a podium from a tyre gamble that initially looked disastrous.
The race also left officials facing scrutiny over the delayed, disorderly start.
