Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delivered an action-packed weekend, culminating in Max Verstappen reaching the top step of the podium for the first time in 2026.

There were also plenty of other talking points that emerged across the three days of action, from George Russell’s dramatic retirement to the Sepang International Circuit staging a thriller on its return to F1.

Verstappen and Red Bull get back to winning ways

Red Bull took on a huge challenge in the build-up to F1’s all-new 2026 regulations by investing in their own power unit facility and creating an engine from the ground up.

With that in mind, Verstappen and team mate Isack Hadjar’s combined tally of nine Grand Prix podium finishes across the first 15 rounds of the season was rather impressive – plenty of promise being shown, even if reliability caused a few headaches.

Verstappen and Red Bull are winners, though, and podiums were not going to satisfy them for much longer.

Using plenty of lessons from the first half of the season, and boosted by recent updates, Verstappen charged to a breakthrough 2026 pole position on Saturday – lapping almost three tenths quicker than nearest challenger Lewis Hamilton.

While Sunday threw everything at the drivers, including heavy rain, suspended starts, delays, mixed conditions, Safety Car restarts and more, nothing could stop the four-time World Champion from converting that pole into the race win.

It might have come too late for a championship comeback this year, but underlines that Verstappen and Red Bull are a force to be reckoned with once more, and should head into 2027 as serious contenders.