Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the 2026 season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, in a race delayed by heavy rain and a software problem affecting several cars. The event, described in the report as the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, began almost an hour and 40 minutes after its scheduled start. Verstappen kept the lead after a late restart and finished ahead of Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

A downpour during the build-up prompted officials to postpone the start by 40 minutes. When drivers then left for their formation laps, a software fault affected several cars and left them moving very slowly. Race control abandoned that start attempt and called the cars back to the pits while the FIA distributed a software change intended to correct the problem.

By the time the race got underway, the track had dried considerably, but conditions remained too wet for slick tyres, contrary to what many drivers expected. Drivers on intermediate tyres gained a substantial advantage over those on slicks. Mercedes drivers, who had started third and seventh, surged to the front, while pole-sitter Verstappen, also on intermediates, resisted a quick start from Liam Lawson.

Lewis Hamilton had started alongside Verstappen on the front row, but his soft slick tyres struggled in the conditions. He fell out of the top 10 immediately and was a minute behind within a few laps. Verstappen passed George Russell for second on lap six and began closing on Antonelli, who was leading.

A spin by Valtteri Bottas at turn 14 brought out the Safety Car before Verstappen could challenge Antonelli. The timing helped drivers still using slicks, who had been close to being lapped. Antonelli led at the restart, but Verstappen passed him immediately and retook the lead. Russell also moved ahead of his Mercedes team-mate as Antonelli reported that his power unit was clipping.

Antonelli later told Mercedes, “I have more pace”. By lap 21, he passed Russell at turn four, and Russell did not attempt to hold him off. Antonelli could not close on Verstappen. He also ran wide at the final corner and hit the bollard at the pit lane entrance, losing time but avoiding damage and a penalty.

Hamilton stayed out during the first Safety Car period. When racing resumed, he found grip on his soft tyres and passed midfield cars and both McLarens, then began closing on Isack Hadjar, whose Red Bull was fourth. Red Bull pitted Hadjar for fresh tyres, prompting Ferrari to respond and eventually leading drivers ahead to pit as well. Hamilton switched to medium tyres, after which he could no longer get close enough to threaten Hadjar.

The order appeared settled until lap 43, when Alexander Albon stopped with a gearbox problem. His car was stuck in gear, leading to a lengthy interruption and another Safety Car. Most drivers used the period to pit. Shortly before the restart, Russell’s Mercedes stopped as he approached turn one. Mercedes reported a power unit problem.

Lando Norris nearly hit his team-mate’s stationary car, then went through the gravel at turn one and lost several places. A separate report said stewards were investigating Norris over the near-miss under the Safety Car. After the restart, Verstappen kept Antonelli at a distance and held the lead through to the finish.

Hadjar could not match the soft-tyred Ferraris in the closing laps. Hamilton passed him first, followed by Charles Leclerc, both without difficulty. Hadjar’s lack of battery also left him unable to defend from the Ferrari drivers, according to a related report. Oscar Piastri took sixth and held off Lawson in a late fight between the two drivers.

Fernando Alonso used Honda’s upgraded power unit to keep the recovering Norris behind him. Arvid Lindblad secured the final point for Racing Bulls. The race coverage also reported that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called the team’s Sepang race “one of my worst experiences”.

RaceFans published its report on Oct. 4, 2026, at 11:45, with an update at 11:49. The story was written by Keith Collantine, who founded RaceFans in 2005, when the site was called F1 Fanatic. Collantine had previously worked as a motoring journalist and began running the site full-time in 2010, pursuing his long-held ambition to focus entirely on motor racing. The coverage listed additional reports on Norris’s investigation, Hadjar’s battery issue, Wolff’s assessment, the race result and championship points, and other articles about the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Based on reporting by RaceFans.