How Verstappen Recovered to Win the Rain-Hit 2026 Bahrain GP at Sepang

Max Verstappen won the rain-disrupted 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang after losing the lead to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at the start. He worked his way back into contention, then passed Antonelli at a restart as the race moved through changing tyre conditions. Lewis Hamilton recovered to third, and Russell’s late retirement strengthened Antonelli’s position in the championship. 232425

Mercedes seized the opening as the start unravelled

The race was held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit rather than Sakhir, after the Bahrain event was moved from its original location. Heavy rain delayed the start by more than 90 minutes, and the start procedure was suspended after drivers encountered problems on the formation lap. Reports described software issues affecting several cars, including Verstappen’s and Hamilton’s; those reported glitches were part of the pre-race disruption, distinct from Russell’s later retirement. 8131922

When the race got going, Verstappen lost the lead before Turn 1 as Antonelli and Russell moved ahead. Verstappen soon passed Russell to recover second, leaving him to chase Antonelli. 2335

A restart and tyre crossover opened Verstappen’s route back

Changing track conditions made tyre choices central to the race. Drivers split between intermediate tyres and slicks, and Valtteri Bottas stopping in the gravel brought out a safety car just as some drivers on slicks began to gain on those still using intermediates. 2531

Verstappen passed Antonelli at the restart to take the lead. The reports connect his move with the restart and the changing tyre conditions, though they do not provide enough detail to attribute the pass to one tyre decision alone. Verstappen then held on to win. 2527

Hamilton’s race showed the risk of getting that call wrong: an early gamble on slicks cost him places, but he recovered to finish third. 2627

Russell’s retirement changed the championship picture

With five laps remaining, Russell retired while running behind the safety car. Mercedes reported a suspected power-unit problem; the available reports do not establish that the safety car caused the failure. Antonelli finished second behind Verstappen, and Russell’s retirement helped extend Antonelli’s championship lead over his teammate to 84 points. 82021

Verstappen’s win was Red Bull’s first of the season. The race’s defining sequence was clear: Mercedes jumped ahead at the start, Verstappen recovered, and he took the lead from Antonelli at a restart amid a changing wet-to-dry tyre picture. The precise contribution of each strategic call is less certain than the final result. 82425