f1-agws · round 16 · Sepang International Circuit
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026: Race Pace, Tyre Strategy & Results
Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 on a 3-stop strategy. VER took pole. Full analysis: race pace, tyre strategy for every driver, pit stops, degradation and weather.
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 result
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on 4 October 2026 from 1st on the grid, round 16 of the 2026 season at Sepang International Circuit over 55 laps, in 1:47:14.808. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) finished second, +2.307s behind, and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) completed the podium, +4.919s.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) started from pole after a 1:35.130 qualifying lap and converted it into the win.
Did not finish: RUS (Retired), ALB (Retired), BOT (Retired).
Race pace
Fastest lap: Max Verstappen, 1:38.220 on lap 55.
Best long run: ANT on the Soft averaged 1:43.098 over 8 clean laps, losing 0.208 s per lap.
Biggest gains from the starting grid: LIN P22 → P10 (+12), COL P21 → P13 (+8), LAW P11 → P7 (+4).
Teammate race pace (median lap): the widest gap was at Red Bull Racing, VER ahead of HAD on the road with 1.116 s per lap between them; the closest pair was ALO and STR at Aston Martin, 0.052 s apart.
Tyre strategy
Winning strategy: VER made 3 stops — I 1-1 · S 2-2 · S 3-9 · S 10-55.
Compounds: S = Soft, M = Medium, H = Hard, I = Intermediate, W = Wet; numbers are the laps of each stint.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Grid | Result | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen (VER) | Red Bull | 1 | 1:47:14.808 | I 1-9 · S 10-55 |
| 2 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ANT) | Mercedes | 3 | +2.307s | I 1-9 · M 10-33 · S 34-44 · S 45-55 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton (HAM) | Ferrari | 2 | +4.919s | S 1-1 · M 2-43 · S 44-55 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc (LEC) | Ferrari | 4 | +7.258s | S 1-1 · I 2-3 · S 4-9 · S 10-43 · S 44-55 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar (HAD) | Red Bull | 8 | +8.571s | I 1-9 · S 10-44 · S 45-55 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri (PIA) | McLaren | 6 | +9.454s | M 1-1 · I 2-2 · H 3-9 · M 10-34 · H 35-55 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson (LAW) | RB F1 Team | 11 | +12.753s | I 1-9 · H 10-45 · S 46-55 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso (ALO) | Aston Martin | 12 | +13.372s | M 1-1 · H 2-2 · H 3-9 · S 10-55 |
| 9 | Lando Norris (NOR) | McLaren | 5 | +13.993s | M 1-1 · H 2-9 · S 10-45 · S 46-55 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad (LIN) | RB F1 Team | 22 | +15.928s | I 1-9 · H 10-28 · S 29-55 |
Pit stops and race control
73 pit stops in the race; the quickest trip through the pit lane was ANT's, 27.2 s on lap 44.
Race control: 2 Safety Car periods, one Virtual Safety Car period.
Weather
Air 25–31 °C, track 0–46 °C, with rain during the race.
Explore the sessions in the race dashboard, the championship standings and the 2026 schedule.