Verstappen takes his first pole of 2026 ahead of Hamilton at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia

[Pirlo]

Max Verstappen has taken his first pole position of the 2026 season at Sepang, with Lewis Hamilton alongside him on the front row. Verstappen's lap of 1:35.130 was 0.298 seconds quicker than Hamilton's Ferrari, and he saved his best effort for the final run. It is also Red Bull's first pole with its own power unit, a milestone after the team took engine building in house this year. Verstappen said it was fantastic, adding that they had been trying for many Grands Prix to get pole

The race carries the Bahrain Grand Prix name even though it is being held in Malaysia. The original April race was called off for safety reasons, and under an agreement between Formula 1, the FIA and the two governments, it was reinstated at Sepang, with Bahrain keeping the ticketing rights and race proceeds. It is the first time F1 has raced at Sepang since 2017. Plenty of current drivers had never driven the track in an F1 car before this weekend

Isack Hadjar qualified a superb third in the other Red Bull but drops to eighth because of a five place penalty for an extra power unit element. That promotes Kimi Antonelli to third, with Charles Leclerc fourth and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fifth and sixth. Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad also took big grid penalties. Mercedes struggled despite bringing upgrades, with George Russell saying the rough, broken up tarmac seemed to affect them far more than everyone else. Sepang's long back straight should suit a strong power unit

Verstappen and Hamilton sharing the front row for the first time since Hungary 2023 had fans excited about a proper old school battle. Race day has started in chaotic fashion, though. Heavy rain and standing water delayed the start, and then the start procedure was suspended after a messy formation lap, with Hamilton reporting a software problem, Norris saying he had no power and Verstappen picking up a nail in a tyre

By the time many of you read this, the race may well be over, so feel free to post the result and your reactions below. Was the front row the dream matchup you hoped for? And should F1 come back to Sepang permanently after this?

F1 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - Qualifying Resultswww.motorsportweek.com

[SilverSurfer87]

Russell's comment about the tarmac is interesting. Old surfaces can be brutal on tyres, and some cars just hate the bumps. Mercedes will be hoping the rain shakes things up. Bumpy, abrasive tracks have caught teams out before

Setup choices on Friday decide a lot. Mercedes seem to have got it wrong here