Verstappen takes his first pole position of the year at F1's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds, while Isack Hadjar dropped five places and several drivers faced grid penalties.
- On Saturday, Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the 2026 season at the Sepang International Circuit, outpacing Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
- Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix for the first time since 2017 after officials relocated the race from Bahrain earlier this year due to conflict in the Middle East.
- Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar qualified third but will start eighth due to a five-place grid penalty for an engine change. Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad also received penalties that reshaped the starting grid.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes, while teammate George Russell struggled to eighth, trailing Verstappen by six-tenths and leaving the title contenders behind heading into Sunday's race.
- Extreme heat and high tyre degradation are expected to define Sunday's race on the 5.543km circuit. Verstappen emphasized that successful tyre management will be the decisive factor in securing his first win of the season.
232 Articles
232 Articles
Max Verstappen Claims 1st Pole Of 2026 At Bahrain Grand Prix In Malaysia, Lewis Hamilton Right Behind
Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on a rare off day for Mercedes and Formula 1 standings leader Kimi Antonelli.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has secured the pole position for the first time this season. The Mercedes team led by world championship leader Kimi Antonelli was perplexed and disappointed.
Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz will face the test from 12th and 13th place, respectively.
Hamilton came to Verstappen in second place. The previous World Cup dominator Mercedes only followed despite a car upgrade.
Since 2019, there had been no year in which Max Verstappen had not won a pole position. This season, he risked ending with a zero in the box, but the Dutchman of Red...
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