Verstappen wins rain-hit Bahrain GP in Malaysia as Russell's late failure extends Antonelli's lead

The April Bahrain Grand Prix was called off because of the Iran war and the wider Middle East security situation. Formula 1 and the FIA moved the race to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where it ran on 4 October as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The FIA confirmed the arrangement in July, and the race was the first wet race under the 2026 power unit rules.

The race

Max Verstappen started from pole and won. The FIA described it as a win that overcame "a rain-disrupted start, changing track conditions and a late Safety Car intervention", and it was Red Bull's first win of the season and the first for Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

The final order at the flag:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 2.307 seconds behind
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 4.919 seconds behind
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 7.258 seconds behind
5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

Verstappen said after the race: "It's a really nice one, after the year that we've had and the progression that we've made." He described it as a very hectic race, and credited the team's call to switch to intermediates.

George Russell was running third when his Mercedes stopped on track late in the race with a suspected engine failure. Russell's finish was a retirement after 49 laps.

The formation lap problem

Before the race could start, several cars lost power on the formation laps. The start was suspended after two laps at 15:45 local time, and the cars left the pit lane at 16:33.

The FIA later reviewed the incident and said that "some cars running on low engine RPM in certain circuit sectors where a 250kW power reduction was applied experienced a loss of power beyond the original intent and that could not be recovered in those sectors". The same review confirmed that the Sepang software configuration will return for the Singapore Grand Prix if similar weather is expected, and that a further wet-weather update will arrive for the United States Grand Prix on 25 October.

Drivers were blunt about it. ESPN reported that some called the situation "totally unacceptable" and "horrible".

What it does to the title fight

Antonelli's second place kept him at the top of the championship, and Russell's retirement widened the gap. After Sepang, the drivers' standings were:

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli	320
2	George Russell	236
3	Lewis Hamilton	214
4	Charles Leclerc	191
5	Lando Norris	188
6	Max Verstappen	188

Verstappen's win moved him level with Norris on points. Antonelli now leads Russell by 84 points, which Crash.net and the FIA points document both report.

Sources

• FIA race classification, Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
• FIA news: Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
• FIA review of the formation lap software issue
• Formula 1 race report