SEPANG Oct 6, 2026 — Formula 1’s official account posted a short clip of cars bunched behind the safety car in late golden-hour light at Sepang and captioned it “Absolute cinema,” capturing the visual signature of a race that was delayed, repeatedly neutralized, and decided in the closing laps.
Max Verstappen converted pole into his first victory of the 2026 season and a career 72nd win at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on 4 October, finishing the 55-lap race in 1:47:14.808. Kimi Antonelli was second for Mercedes, 2.307 seconds back, and Lewis Hamilton recovered to third for Ferrari. It was also the first win for a Red Bull Ford power unit and the first for a Ford-powered car since the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The start was delayed by about an hour and a half after heavy rain, then suspended again when cars crawled with technical problems on formation laps. The race eventually began behind the safety car, with a standing start only on lap 3. Bottas spun his Cadillac into the gravel early, bringing out another safety car. Hamilton, who had started on slicks in wet conditions and dropped as low as 18th, used the interruptions and a later soft-tyre stop to climb onto the podium — his first since the British Grand Prix.
A late safety-car period, triggered when Alexander Albon’s Williams stopped and needed recovery, then cost George Russell. The championship leader’s teammate retired from third with a power-unit failure with five laps remaining. Verstappen stayed ahead through the final restart, also taking the fastest lap (1:38.220). Isack Hadjar finished fifth for Red Bull; Oscar Piastri was sixth and Lando Norris ninth after McLaren’s difficult weekend.
Antonelli’s second place extended his drivers’ championship lead over Russell from 66 to 84 points. Mercedes remain clear in the constructors’ standings. The series moves next to Singapore.
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