Verstappen wins chaotic rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
- On Sunday, October 4, 2026, Alpine driver Franco Colapinto started the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with a five-place grid penalty, while Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the season.
- Formula 1 relocated the race to Malaysia due to regional conflict in the Middle East, but heavy rain delayed the start by over 90 minutes and exposed software vulnerabilities in the 2026-specification hybrid power units.
- Mercedes driver George Russell retired with a suspected power unit failure with five laps remaining, while teammate Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th place to secure third after an early tyre gamble.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished second and extended his title lead to 84 points over Russell, with seven races remaining; Russell's retirement significantly damaged his title prospects.
- Grid penalties for Colapinto, Isack Hadjar, and Arvid Lindblad—issued for exceeding engine component limits—underscore mounting reliability pressure teams face under strict FIA regulations as the season nears conclusion.
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405 Articles
A bug in the software of the motorsport federation FIA caused a chaotic start during the Formula 1 race at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. During the warm-up laps on a waterlogged track, several semi-electric cars came to a standstill because a malfunction in the motor controller switched off the throttle. The incident further intensifies the already long-running debate regarding the increasing complexity of the 2026 generation of cars.
Max Verstappen, from Red Bull, won Sunday, in Malaysia, Bahrain's Grand Prize, a chaotic rain-affected race, thus obtaining his first victory of the season, after the start of the race was postponed by more than 90 minutes due to the dangerous conditions on the Sepang International Circuit, writes Reuters.
Verstappen wants a ‘lesson learned’ after software issues in F1 cars delay race start
Max Verstappen said he wants “a lesson learned” after Formula 1 drivers and fans were left waiting for software updates because the cars’ algorithms weren’t able to handle a wet track. The first attempt to start Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia ended in confusion as cars crawled around the Sepang track at slow speeds...
Chaos in Malaysia's Rain: Max Verstappen Gets His First Win of the Year in a Wild Bahrain Grand Prix
The Dutchman achieved his first victory of the season in Sepang, in a race that was marked by a flood that caused a blackout on the single-seats virtually the whole grill.
Sydney Morning Herald
Russell sighs as he's forced to retire
George Russell lets out a loud sigh at the Malaysia GP after retiring.
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