Max Verstappen finally has his 2026 pole position – and he had to wait until round 16 in Malaysia to get it.
The Red Bull driver completed a commanding qualifying performance at Sepang by topping all three segments, converting his early-weekend speed into his first pole since the 2025 Abu Dhabi finale.
Verstappen’s 1m35.130s was enough to deny Lewis Hamilton, who will join him on the front row when Malaysia stages its first F1 race since 2017 as a substitute venue amid the Middle East conflict.
2026 Bahrain Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Hamilton initially looked set to snatch pole after going fastest on the opening Q3 runs with a 1m35.250s, 0.308s ahead of team-mate Isack Hadjar.
Verstappen’s first sectors on his final attempt offered little encouragement. He failed to improve through the opening two sectors, leaving the Red Bull driver needing something special in the final part of the lap.
He duly delivered.
A purple final sector propelled Verstappen to a 1m35.130s, 0.120s faster than his previous effort and good enough for the 49th pole of his career.
Hamilton eventually finished 0.298s adrift on 1m35.428s, while Hadjar slipped to third after failing to improve on his final run. The Red Bull sophomore will nevertheless start eighth after taking a five-place grid penalty for an ICE change.
That promotes championship leader Kimi Antonelli to third.
Mercedes survives a messy qualifying
Antonelli’s fourth-fastest time of 1m35.631s was hardly the cleanest route to the second row.
The Mercedes driver had a Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 6, forcing him to use an additional set of new soft tyres. That left him with only one shot in Q3, but his 0.501s deficit to Verstappen was enough to secure fourth before Hadjar’s penalty.
Charles Leclerc will start alongside him in fifth after posting a 1m35.666s, while McLaren’s difficult weekend continued with Lando Norris sixth and Oscar Piastri seventh. Both McLarens will move up one position thanks to Hadjar’s penalty.
George Russell was eighth-fastest, with Pierre Gasly and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto completing the top ten.
Alonso shines as Colapinto faces long climb
Fernando Alonso produced Aston Martin’s best qualifying result of 2026 with 12th, while team-mate Lance Stroll took 14th as both cars reached Q2 for the first time this season.
Liam Lawson was 11th, missing Q3 by two tenths, with Carlos Sainz 13th and Franco Colapinto 15th.
Colapinto, however, faces a brutal race from the rear after a 15-place grid penalty — five places for his Baku clash and another ten for a Mercedes power-unit change.
Arvid Lindblad was 16th, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, who suffered his first Q1 elimination since Spa.
Alex Albon was 20th, while Valtteri Bottas edged Cadillac team-mate Sergio Perez for 21st, leaving the Mexican at the back.
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