BAHRAIN GP: VERSTAPPEN COMES OUT ON TOP, ANTONELLI HEADING TOWARD THE TITLE

Cavalieri Garage Magazine

7 hours ago

2 min read

Max Verstappen completed a nearly perfect weekend at Sepang by winning the chaotic 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, the rescheduled event originally set to take place in Sakhir and the 16th round of the Formula 1 World Championship. The Red Bull superstar converted pole position into victory, claiming both his first pole and his first win of the season in the span of just two days.

For the four-time World Champion, it marked a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium, nearly 10 months after his previous victory at Abu Dhabi in 2025. Verstappen has now reached 72 Formula 1 victories, finally ending an unusually long winless streak for a driver who had dominated much of the previous era.

The race, however, did not begin according to plan. Verstappen lost ground at the start on a wet track, but as conditions gradually improved, his pace changed dramatically. First on intermediate tires and then, most notably, on slicks, the Red Bull driver established a clear performance advantage over the competition.

Verstappen erased his early deficit, passed both Mercedes cars on track, and built his victory through outright pace. Only a late Safety Car wiped out the gap he had accumulated and gave his rivals one final opportunity, but the Dutchman remained in control after the restart and completed a thoroughly deserved victory.

Behind him, Kimi Antonelli secured an extremely valuable second-place finish. The championship leader avoided unnecessary risks and maximized his result on a day that became even more favorable following George Russell's retirement. The British driver suffered a power unit reliability issue while running third behind the Safety Car, costing him crucial points in the championship battle.

Antonelli therefore increased his advantage over his Mercedes teammate from 66 to 84 points, further strengthening a championship lead that is becoming increasingly significant as the remaining number of races continues to shrink.

Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after producing one of the strongest comebacks of the day. Ferrari had severely compromised the opening phase of his race by choosing to start on slick tires while the track was still too damp, but the British driver responded with an aggressive and consistent recovery. Hamilton put Ferrari back on the podium after a five-race drought, turning an early strategic mistake into a valuable result.

Charles Leclerc also produced a solid recovery to finish fourth despite a far-from-perfect race. The Monegasque driver finished ahead of Isack Hadjar's Red Bull and Oscar Piastri's McLaren. Liam Lawson brought his Racing Bulls home in seventh, followed by Fernando Alonso, who delivered a strong eighth-place finish for Aston Martin.

It was a much more difficult afternoon for Lando Norris, who could only manage ninth in his McLaren, while Arvid Lindblad completed the points-paying positions in 10th with the second Racing Bulls entry.

Antonelli leaves Sepang with an 84-point advantage over Russell and a lead of more than 100 points over every other championship rival. Hamilton sits 106 points behind, with Leclerc 129 back, while Norris and Verstappen are tied at 132 points behind the championship leader.

The picture remains largely unchanged in the Constructors' Championship, where Mercedes maintains a 151-point advantage over Ferrari, while Verstappen leaves Sepang knowing that he is finally back on the top step of the podium.