Verstappen claims first pole of 2026 season as Bahrain GP is held in Malaysia

An unusual venue for the Bahrain GP

This weekend Formula 1 holds the Bahrain Grand Prix, yet the race is not taking place in Bahrain but at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia — the first visit there in almost nine years, since 2017. According to The Telegraph (cited in a Yahoo Sports roundup), this was a late addition to the calendar because of the conflict in the Middle East. Organisers have brought a Bahraini atmosphere to Sepang with illuminated palm trees and shaded couches styled after the Sakhir circuit, but Formula1.com notes the real legacy is the rough asphalt and extreme heat typical of Bahrain race weekends.

Verstappen's first pole of the year

In qualifying, Max Verstappen (Red Bull, powered by the Red Bull Powertrains/Ford unit) took his first pole position of the 2026 season — after 16 races dominated by Mercedes-powered engines. Alongside him on the front row is Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), who called the lap his best of the season. Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc qualified third and fourth. George Russell endured what he called one of his toughest Saturdays of the year, and sources differ slightly on his grid slot — The Independent and The Guardian put him seventh, while Roundtable Sports reports eighth.

Heavy tyre wear set to decide the race

Formula1.com notes that after two races with almost no tyre degradation, Sepang is expected to produce roughly three races' worth of wear in a single afternoon. PlanetF1 explains that overtaking is notably easier at Sepang, shifting the emphasis from grid position to strategy and tyre management. Long runs in practice were dominated by the soft and medium compounds, yet none of the front-running teams kept a fresh set of softs for the race — including Verstappen, who had the option to do so. The longest practice stints showed Verstappen roughly four tenths of a second per lap quicker on mediums than Russell on softs, while Leclerc was the quickest on the soft compound, four tenths ahead of Norris. Hamilton and Oscar Piastri were both slower than their respective teammates in FP2.

Who holds the upper hand

PlanetF1 concludes that Red Bull remain the outright favourites, while Mercedes and Ferrari have enough underlying pace to challenge for victory if their strategy is executed well. McLaren currently appear a step behind the top three. The decisive factor may be adaptability to changing conditions, including the possibility of rain, which Russell has also flagged.