Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Verstappen Claims First Pole of Year at Sepang
Max Verstappen will start the Bahrain Grand Prix from the front of the grid.
This is his first pole position of the year.
Lewis Hamilton qualified second, and Isack Hadjar qualified third.
Kimi Antonelli came fourth, while George Russell came eighth.
The race is taking place at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
Formula One is returning to Sepang for the first time since 2017.
The article says the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were called off earlier this year because of the Iran war.
The event keeps the Bahrain Grand Prix name, and Bahraini staff are organizing it at the circuit.
Max Verstappen took pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Verstappen was 0.298 seconds faster than Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar qualified third, 0.130 seconds behind Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, while Mercedes teammate George Russell was eighth.
The race is being held at Malaysia's Sepang circuit after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were called off.
- Who
- Max Verstappen took pole position; Lewis Hamilton, Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell were among the other leading qualifiers.
- What
- Verstappen qualified first for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
- When
- Saturday's qualifying session; the article does not give a calendar date.
- Where
- Sepang circuit, Malaysia.
- Why
- The race is replacing events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that were called off earlier this year due to the Iran war.
- Pole position
- Max Verstappen; his first of the year
- Second place
- Lewis Hamilton, 0.298 seconds behind Verstappen
- Third place
- Isack Hadjar, 0.130 seconds behind Hamilton
- Kimi Antonelli
- Qualified fourth
- George Russell
- Qualified eighth
- Circuit
- Sepang, Malaysia
- Last F1 race at Sepang
- 2017
- Event arrangement
- The race retains Bahrain Grand Prix branding, with Bahraini staff organizing it on site.