SEPANG Oct 4, 2026 — Max Verstappen has moved up to second place and is pressing race leader Kimi Antonelli in the opening stages of a rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix, relocated to Sepang International Circuit.
Official Formula 1 race updates showed Antonelli ahead of George Russell, Verstappen and Liam Lawson after three laps of 56, with the field still on intermediate tyres as the wet track continued to dictate strategy.
A brief rewind clip from @F1 also highlighted contact between Charles Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg at the start, underlining how chaotic the lights-out phase had been on the greasy Sepang asphalt. Antonelli’s early move into the lead at the start had already been the story of the opening moments.
By lap nine, Verstappen had climbed to second and was fighting Antonelli for the lead, turning the early race into a straight scrap between the Mercedes junior and the Red Bull champion in changing conditions.
Source: @F1, tyre update, Leclerc–Hulkenberg contact, Verstappen to P2
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