Max Verstappen’s path to victory at Sepng was nearly derailed before he could even complete the opening meters, as a critical engine software anomaly briefly crippled his Red Bull RB22 on the starting grid.
Despite securing pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the four-time World Champion found himself at a severe disadvantage as the field understook its exploratory laps behind the Safety Car.
A delay in power delivery left his machine struggling for drive off the line, allowing the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to sweep past before Turn 1.
A critical fault at lights out
The issue appeared related to an automated engine mapping sequence in the Red Bull-Ford power unit. As Verstappen released the clutch, the electronic unit failed to immediately request maximum hybrid and internal combustion torque, forcing the Dutchman to wait precious seconds while the system reset itself under load.
Reflecting on the tense moments, Verstappen outlined the exact technical frustration he faced in the cockpit:
"It was very hectic with a lot of different things at the start - no power because you have to wait for the power to kick in. We made the right call with the intermediates. After that, step by step, we moved our way forward,” he explained.
"From there, once we could do our own race, then we had the safety car, but we kept it all under control."
From grid chaos to a historic milestone
The victory was far from straightforward, coming after a prolonged wet-weather delay that disrupted race timing and altered track conditions.
Once the software glitch cleared and the race finally got underway with a proper standing start, Verstappen was quickly swamped by both Mercedes drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but the Dutchman, navigation the conditions on Pirelli’s Intermediate tyre, put himself immediately in the hunt.
By overcoming both the early mechanical setback and mid-race neutralization periods, Verstappen secured his first victory of the campaign.
Crucially, the triumph marks the first win for Red Bull Racing as a full-fledged engine manufacturer, validating years of development behind their internal powertrain division.
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Bahrain GP: Verstappen takes first win of 2026 amid chaos in SepangSpeaking after stepping out of the cockpit, Verstappen highlighted the emotional significance of the recovery:
"It's a really nice one after the year we've had and the progression we have made,” he said.
"I'm incredibly proud of everyone. Just super nice to win here. It's incredible. To win our first race in our first year with our own power unit is pretty impressive."
With the initial software glitch diagnosed and mitigated, Red Bull leaves Malaysia with both a restored championship momentum and vital operational data for their new power unit platform.
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