Verstappen Ends Pole Drought at Sepang as Hamilton Joins Him on the Front Row
Max Verstappen took his first pole of 2026 at Sepang, with Hamilton second and Antonelli promoted to third after Hadjar's engine penalty.
Max Verstappen will start today's Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position at Sepang International Circuit. He ended a season-long wait on Saturday afternoon, and Lewis Hamilton will start alongside him.
The Red Bull driver set a best lap of 1:35.130 in Q3 to beat Hamilton's Ferrari by 0.298 seconds. It was Verstappen's first pole since the Abu Dhabi season finale last year. It is also Red Bull's first pole of 2026, and it came at the circuit where Verstappen last won a Malaysian Grand Prix, back in 2017.
"Pretty incredible"
"It's fantastic. We've been trying for many Grands Prix to get a pole position and so to finally get it is pretty incredible," Verstappen said after the session, according to Malay Mail. "I'm happy with today and will try to win tomorrow."
The 29-year-old was quick all session. He topped Q1 with a 1:36.477, and The Race described him as looking "relatively comfortable throughout qualifying". He arrives sixth in the championship, Malay Mail noted.
Hamilton said Ferrari's set-up work had been decisive in conditions that track temperatures in the mid-50s made punishing. "It's so hot here... that's made it a massive challenge for the tyres, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera. According to The Race, this is Hamilton's first front-row start since Barcelona. Sky Sports noted it is the first time he and Verstappen have shared the front row since Hungary 2023.
Penalties reshape the grid
Isack Hadjar set the third-fastest time in the second Red Bull, 0.428s off pole. He takes a five-place grid penalty for fitting a new internal combustion engine beyond his season allocation, so he drops to eighth. "It's a bit unfortunate we take the penalty on a track where we're that fast," Hadjar told Formula1.com, adding that a recovery drive from P8 is "going to be fun".
Hadjar's penalty lifts championship leader Kimi Antonelli to third and Charles Leclerc to fourth. Further back, two drivers chose not to set a Q2 lap time because penalties were already coming. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) carries 15 places: five from his Baku collision and ten for a new engine. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) has a 30-place drop for multiple power unit changes. They start 21st and 22nd.
Provisional starting grid (top 10)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
Q1 and Q2 drama
Antonelli had a lap deleted for track limits in Q2. Sky Sports reported that he had to use an extra set of tyres to get through, which left him only one new set for Q3. Nico Hulkenberg missed out on Q2 by just 0.087s after a big moment at Turn 14.
Both Haas cars, the two Cadillacs and Alex Albon's Williams were also knocked out in Q1. At the other end, Aston Martin had their best qualifying of 2026 with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Alonso called it a "miracle that we are fighting with cars that are much faster than us."
Key takeaways
- Verstappen took pole with 1:35.130, 0.298s clear of Hamilton. It is Red Bull's first pole of 2026.
- Hadjar qualified third but starts eighth after a five-place engine penalty.
- Antonelli starts third, four places ahead of title rival and team-mate Russell.
- Colapinto and Lindblad start from the back after power unit penalties.
FAQ
What time does the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang start? Lights out is at 3pm Malaysia time today (Sunday, 4 October). The race runs 56 laps of the 5.543km circuit.
Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix being held in Malaysia? The race was moved to Sepang because of disruption in the Gulf region. It keeps its Bahrain branding, and the Bahrain International Circuit is the promoter.
When did Verstappen last win at Sepang? He won the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, the last F1 race held at Sepang before this weekend.
Sources: Formula1.com, Malay Mail, Sky Sports, Al Jazeera, The Race, GPFans, RacingNews365