Max Verstappen wins Bahrain GP at Sepang as Hamilton finishes third

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday, marking his return to the top of the podium at the Malaysian venue for the first time since 2017. He clocked a total time of 1小时47分14秒808 to secure his first victory of the season and an extra point for the fastest lap.

Race Highlights And Final Standings

• Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season, overcoming a pre-race downpour and an initial power loss at the start.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished second, extending his championship lead over teammate George Russell to 84 points.
• Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton drove to secure third place after recovering from a mid-race power unit reset.

Overcoming Early Season Struggles And A Soggy Sepang Start

Verstappen described the victory as particularly special for a team that faced a difficult start to the year. The Red Bull car initially lacked competitiveness, but continuous upgrades and careful adjustments made it easier to drive. The race itself began with drama when a sudden, heavy downpour soaked the Sepang track right before the scheduled 3:00 PM start, pushing the official lights-out back to 4:33 PM. While some drivers gambled on slick tires on the wet asphalt, pole-sitter Verstappen opted for intermediate tires. That choice initially backfired as Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell sliced past him on the slippery circuit.

The Red Bull driver steadily clawed his way back, overtaking Antonelli on lap 13 to reclaim the lead. He eventually stretched his advantage to over ten seconds. Late-race chaos unfolded on lap 41 when Williams driver Albon suffered a gearbox failure, bringing out a virtual safety car followed by a full safety car deployment. During the subsequent restart procedure, Russell’s Mercedes suffered a power unit failure on the start-finish straight, forcing an immediate retirement. Verstappen held off Antonelli in the closing laps to secure the chequered flag.

Podium Finishers Assess Their Race Pace And Strategy

Kimi Antonelli admitted that second place was the absolute limit of what Mercedes could extract from their package on race day. The Italian noted that Verstappen’s Red Bull possessed superior speed throughout the weekend, while Mercedes grappled with rough pavement and high temperatures at Sepang. Although missing out on the win stung initially, Antonelli viewed the wet-weather battle as a valuable learning curve. Meanwhile, his teammate Russell failed to score, leaving Antonelli sitting comfortably on 320 points after 16 rounds.

Lewis Hamilton mounted a charge to round out the podium in third place. Hamilton revealed that his car temporarily lost power early on, forcing him to stop on the track to restart; the team decided to fit soft tires before the restart. Opting for soft tires during the wet-dry transition proved risky once he saw competitors leaving the pit lane, yet solid pit crew execution and clever strategy allowed him to carve through the traffic. Hamilton acknowledged that he did not expect to reach the podium.

Driver	Team	Race Result	Championship Points
Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1st (Winner)	–
Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	2nd	320
Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	3rd	–
George Russell	Mercedes	DNF (Retired)	236

The Formula One circus now looks ahead to the remainder of the calendar as Antonelli maintains his commanding points buffer over Russell.

More on this story: Max Verstappen Wins Chaotic Rain-Delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia · Max Verstappen Leads Bahrain GP Practice as F1 Returns to Sepang