Max Verstappen finally converted Red Bull’s improving 2026 form into pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, beating Lewis Hamilton by almost three tenths after a fiercely contested qualifying session at Sepang. The Red Bull Racing driver had threatened throughout the weekend and found another level when it mattered, producing a lap nobody else could match in Q3.
Hamilton delivered arguably his strongest Saturday of the season for Ferrari, climbing to second with a late improvement after the team made a final set-up change before Q3. Isack Hadjar qualified third in the second Red Bull, although a five-place grid penalty for taking a new internal combustion engine means Kimi Antonelli will inherit third on the starting grid.
Charles Leclerc will therefore start alongside Antonelli on the second row, ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for McLaren. George Russell could manage only eighth in qualifying and moves to seventh once Hadjar’s penalty is applied, a disappointing outcome after the pace Mercedes had shown earlier in the weekend.
Verstappen immediately sets the standard
Conditions remained punishing throughout qualifying, with the track temperature sitting around 56 degrees Celsius and drivers struggling to extract more than one competitive lap from the soft tyres. That placed an enormous premium on execution because a lock-up, slide or track-limits error could effectively ruin an entire set.
Verstappen immediately looked like the driver most comfortable operating on that limit, going fastest in Q1 with a 1:36.477 despite Ferrari beginning the session on the medium compound. Hamilton was already within 0.118s on the slower tyre, however, while Leclerc sat another tenth behind and gave early warning that Ferrari had more pace than its practice form suggested. Pasted markdown
The first elimination phase produced a surprise at Audi when Nico Hulkenberg ran wide during his only soft-tyre attempt and fell out in 17th. Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez also failed to progress, while both Aston Martins reached Q2 for the first time this season.
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Ferrari had been confident enough in its opening times to avoid another run, preserving a fresh set of soft tyres that could become valuable later. Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren also managed their tyre allocations carefully, knowing the heat and degradation could make every unused set important both in Q3 and Sunday’s race.
Antonelli survives scare as Q2 tightens
Q2 exposed how finely balanced the session had become, with Verstappen again taking control as the leading teams began using fresh softs in earnest. Antonelli initially lost a lap to track limits and was forced back onto the circuit alone, Mercedes choosing to give him clear air rather than risk being caught by traffic or late yellow flags.
The championship leader responded with a controlled lap that moved him second, 0.263s behind Verstappen, despite appearing conservative through the opening sectors. His ability to preserve the tyre for Sepang’s demanding final sector was enough to remove any danger and secure his place in the pole shootout.
Liam Lawson narrowly missed Q3 in 11th after teammate Arvid Lindblad attempted to provide him with a tow. Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Lindblad joined him on the sidelines.
Gabriel Bortoleto produced one of the standout midfield laps to reach Q3 for Audi, joining Pierre Gasly as the two drivers outside the leading four teams to make the final session. Racing Bulls had looked capable of joining them, but Lawson’s elimination left Hadjar as Red Bull’s only additional representative in Q3.
Verstappen takes control as Russell struggles
The opening Q3 runs immediately changed the complexion of the session when Russell failed to reproduce the pace expected from Mercedes. Hadjar, Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris all beat the Baku winner before Verstappen went three tenths clear and established a benchmark that already looked formidable.
His first Q3 lap of 1:35.250 put Hadjar second, with Hamilton initially third ahead of Piastri. Mercedes sent Antonelli out separately for his run, sacrificing the potential benefit of a tow in exchange for a completely clear track.
Antonelli moved into third but remained 0.381s behind Verstappen, leaving Red Bull firmly in control as the final runs began. The Dutchman’s car looked particularly settled through the last corner, an area where several rivals had been fighting sliding and overheating throughout the weekend.
The contrast with Russell was striking because Mercedes had arrived at Sepang with its first major upgrade package since Canada. Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer observed that the team did not appear to have fully mastered the package, and Russell’s inability to challenge at the front reinforced that impression despite Antonelli remaining competitive.
Hamilton finds Ferrari sweet spot but Verstappen cannot be caught
Hamilton saved his best for the final attempt, setting a purple middle sector and jumping onto the front row. The Ferrari driver could not overhaul Verstappen, but closing to within roughly three tenths represented an impressive turnaround after spending much of the weekend searching for the right balance.
“We made one last change in the garage and got the car into the sweet spot, and to close to three tenths to Max is great,” Hamilton said. “I’m much happier with where the car is, but tomorrow is a different ball game – making these tyres last around this track, they are overheating from the get go…”
The result carried particular significance given Ferrari’s acknowledged power deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull, leaving Hamilton reliant on extracting time through Sepang’s corners. He also praised the atmosphere around the circuit, describing the turnout as possibly the biggest crowd he had experienced at Sepang.
Verstappen, though, remained untouchable and secured his first pole position of the season after several weekends in which Red Bull had threatened without completing the job. “It is fantastic,” he said. “We have been trying many Grands Prix to get pole, sometimes closer than others. To finally get it after where we started the season is incredible.”
“I’m happy with today and for sure I am going to try and win tomorrow.” The statement carried added weight after Red Bull’s resurgence in Azerbaijan and another weekend at Sepang in which the RB22 has looked capable of challenging Mercedes on outright pace.
Hadjar penalty reshapes the starting grid
Hadjar’s third-fastest time capped another impressive performance since returning from injury, but his five-place engine penalty drops him to eighth on the grid. That promotes Antonelli into third and Leclerc to fourth, handing the championship leader a considerably better opportunity than the raw qualifying order suggested.
Norris and Piastri move into fifth and sixth respectively, with Russell promoted to seventh alongside Hadjar on row four. Gasly and Bortoleto complete the top 10 after both successfully navigated a qualifying session in which a single mistake could end a driver’s afternoon.
The front row nevertheless provides the most intriguing storyline for Sunday, pairing Verstappen with a resurgent Hamilton on a circuit where tyre degradation and extreme heat could play an even bigger role than outright speed. Mercedes remains firmly involved through Antonelli, but qualifying has provided the clearest evidence yet that the upgraded W17 is not guaranteed to control the weekend.
Red Bull has instead emerged with pole and genuine belief that its first victory of 2026 may finally be within reach. After spending much of the season chasing Mercedes, Verstappen will start the Bahrain GP in Malaysia with nobody ahead of him — and perhaps his best opportunity yet to turn Red Bull’s recent resurgence into a win.
