Verstappen masters Sepang chaos for landmark Red Bull Powertrains victory
Max Verstappen converted a chaotic, rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia into a commanding win, delivering the first victory for Red Bull Powertrains. After a disrupted start and a recovery through the opening phase, the Red Bull driver controlled the race once conditions turned dry.
The start was delayed by 40 minutes after heavy rain. When the field set off behind the safety car, several cars stopped during the formation laps, including Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon. Verstappen kept moving, but the FIA suspended the start sequence and red-flagged the race before it had officially begun. The restart came after a further delay of around 50 minutes, with the original grid positions reinstated.
Tyre choices shaped the standing start. Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers chose intermediates, while Hamilton and Charles Leclerc gambled on soft slicks. Kimi Antonelli surged into the lead ahead of George Russell, with Verstappen behind them. Hamilton and Lando Norris lost ground as the intermediates proved the stronger option in the conditions.
Safety car reshapes the race
Valtteri Bottasâs spin brought out the safety car as the track approached the crossover point, giving the leaders an opportunity to pit for slicks. Hamilton stayed out, maintaining track position ahead of Norris and Leclerc. His decision to continue on the soft tyres later helped him recover through the field.
After the restart in dry conditions, Verstappen moved past Antonelli for the lead, with Russell also getting by. The trio began to pull clear as Hamilton worked his way forward. A later virtual safety car and full safety car, triggered by Alex Albonâs stopped Williams with 11 laps remaining, brought the field back together. Russell then stopped with a power-unit problem as the race prepared to resume.
When racing restarted at the end of lap 51 of 55, Verstappen held off Antonelli to secure his 72nd Grand Prix victory. Antonelli finished second after passing Russell earlier, while Hamilton claimed third by getting ahead of Isack Hadjar; Charles Leclerc then moved past Hadjar, who finished fifth. Russellâs retirement ended his race late on.
The result leaves Antonelliâs points lead at 84. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, Liam Lawson seventh and Fernando Alonso eighth, giving Aston Martin its best result of the season and four points. Norris was ninth, with Arvid Lindblad taking the final point in 10th. Nico Hulkenberg narrowly missed out in 11th.
The race marked a landmark for Red Bullâs in-house engine project at the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, with Verstappen turning a stop-start afternoon into a clear win.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.