F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen dominates for first pole of 2026
Motorsport.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with a fastest lap time of 1m35.130s, dominating all qualifying sessions.
- Lewis Hamilton qualified second for Ferrari, 0.298 seconds behind Verstappen, while Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was third but will drop five places due to an internal combustion engine change penalty.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli struggled to fourth place after a Q2 lap deletion but will start third on the grid following Hadjar's penalty; Charles Leclerc qualified fifth.
- McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri qualified sixth and seventh respectively, both benefiting from grid promotions, while George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.
- Several drivers, including Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad, face grid penalties affecting their starting positions, with Colapinto set to start at the back due to multiple infractions and power unit changes.
