Verstappen hails Red Bull after maiden 2026 victory in Bahrain GP

Max Verstappen said he was “incredibly proud” of Red Bull after claiming his first victory of the 2026 season in a dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The result was also the first win for Red Bull Powertrains in its debut year as a power unit supplier, marking a major milestone for the team.

When the race got underway in mixed conditions, Verstappen lost the lead to Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. He recovered position by position, then took control of the race and held on through a late Virtual Safety Car and a full Safety Car phase.

A demanding route to the chequered flag

Asked whether the victory was his sweetest, Verstappen pointed to the team’s progress over the season. “It’s a really nice one, after the year that we’ve had and the progression that we’ve made. I’m incredibly proud of everyone, and it’s just super nice to win here.”

He described the opening phase as hectic, citing a lack of power and the wait for it to come in. Red Bull’s decision to use intermediate tyres proved right, he said, allowing the team to make progress before settling into its own race.

“From there onwards we could do our own race until the end again, of course with the Safety Car, but we kept it all under control,” Verstappen said.

The win carried added significance for the team’s power unit programme. Verstappen said the achievement of taking victory in its first season was impressive, underlining the scale of the result beyond his personal return to the top step.

“To win our first race in our first year with our own power unit is pretty impressive,” he said.