Max Verstappen has won for the first time in the 2026 Formula 1 season, taking the Bahrain Grand Prix for Red Bull. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished second, 2.3 seconds behind, with Lewis Hamilton third.
Max Verstappen ended a long wait on Sunday, October 4, winning the Bahrain Grand Prix for Red Bull Racing. It was his first victory of the 2026 season, which had run for 15 races without him on the top step.
The Dutchman completed the 55 laps in 1:47:14.808, according to Formula 1’s official results, finishing 2.307 seconds ahead of the championship leader, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
The Podium
Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari, 4.919 seconds behind the winner. His team-mate Charles Leclerc was fourth.
Red Bull had a second car in the top five, with Isack Hadjar finishing fifth, 8.571 seconds back.
Top Ten
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) — 25 points
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — 18
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) — 15
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) — 12
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing) — 10
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) — 8
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) — 6
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) — 4
- Lando Norris (McLaren) — 2
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) — 1
A Close Finish Down the Order
The field was tightly bunched at the flag. The top ten finishers were covered by less than 16 seconds, and all of the first 13 cars completed the full race distance.
Lando Norris could manage only ninth for McLaren, two places behind his team-mate Oscar Piastri’s sixth.
What It Means
The win lifts Verstappen to 188 points, level with Norris in the drivers’ standings.
It does little to trouble Antonelli, whose second place was enough to extend his total to 320 points. The Italian leads his Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 84 points.
Verstappen is the sixth different driver to win a race this season, after Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris.
Next Race
Formula 1 moves straight on to Singapore, where round 17 takes place on October 9–11.
Image: Max Verstappen driving for Red Bull at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. Photo by Liauzh via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.