Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the 2026 Formula One season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on Saturday. With a time of 1 minute 35.130 seconds, the Red Bull driver edged out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds to claim the top spot on the grid. This marks Verstappen’s first pole since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025 and his first pole at Sepang since his victory there in 2017.
Verstappen’s pole is significant as it is the first of the season for a car not powered by a Mercedes engine, highlighting Red Bull’s progress with their own in-house power unit this year. Verstappen expressed satisfaction with the achievement, citing persistent efforts throughout the season, and indicated his intent to convert the pole into a race win.
Hamilton secured second place in qualifying after overcoming challenges with tire degradation caused by the demanding heat of the Malaysian track, which saw temperatures exceed 55 degrees Celsius. The veteran driver said Ferrari finally found a good balance after multiple adjustments during practice sessions, helping him maximize performance under harsh conditions.
Red Bull’s other driver, Isack Hadjar, posted the third-fastest time but will start from eighth due to a five-place grid penalty for exceeding the season’s allowance on internal combustion engines. Despite this setback, Hadjar remained optimistic about recovering positions during the race.
Mercedes, the team leading the championship, faced a challenging qualifying session despite introducing a significant upgrade package, including changes to the floor, sidepods, and rear suspension. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli initially had a promising run but suffered the deletion of a key Q2 lap for exceeding track limits. Although he recovered to qualify fourth, starting third on the grid after Hadjar’s penalty, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that the upgrade appeared to have reduced overall performance rather than improving it. George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate and second in the championship standings, qualified eighth amid similar struggles.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, just behind Antonelli, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured sixth and seventh positions respectively. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top ten.
This weekend’s race is a relocated Bahrain Grand Prix, with Malaysia hosting in place of Bahrain after the original event was canceled due to regional conflicts. The event’s logistics reflected the change, with significant Bahraini organizational input. The return to Sepang marks Formula One’s first visit to the circuit in nine years and revives a challenging venue known for its abrasive surface and demanding conditions on both cars and drivers.