Max Verstappen has his first pole position of the season. The Red Bull driver topped Q1, Q2 and Q3 at Sepang, then delivered a 1m 35.130s lap to lead qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Lewis Hamilton will join him on the front row after taking second for Ferrari, 0.298s behind. Isack Hadjar qualified third in the other Red Bull, although a five-place grid penalty will move him back for Sunday’s race.
What To Know?
- Verstappen topped Q1, Q2 and Q3 to take his first pole of 2026 in 1m 35.130s.
- Hamilton qualified second, 0.298s behind; Hadjar was third but has a five-place grid penalty.
- Antonelli and Leclerc completed the top five, while Norris led Piastri in sixth and seventh.
- Colapinto faces five-place and ten-place penalties; Lindblad is set to start from the back after a power unit change.
Verstappen’s pace had been building through the afternoon. He led Q1 with a 1m 36.477s, lowered the benchmark to 1m 35.696s in Q2 and found another half-second when pole was on the line. Red Bull appeared close to locking out the top two positions until Hamilton’s final effort of 1m 35.428s pushed Hadjar down to third.
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Hamilton’s lap also kept 2026 F1 World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli out of the top three. The Mercedes driver, quickest in final practice, finished fourth on 1m 35.631s, just 0.073s behind Hadjar. Charles Leclerc completed the top five for Ferrari with a 1m 35.666s.
2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia Qualifying Results
2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia Qualifying, 3 October 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:36.477 | 1:35.696 | 1:35.130 | 12 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:36.595 | 1:36.032 | 1:35.428 | 15 |
| 3 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:36.898 | 1:36.192 | 1:35.558 | 12 |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:37.041 | 1:35.959 | 1:35.631 | 12 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36.730 | 1:35.970 | 1:35.666 | 12 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:37.092 | 1:36.173 | 1:35.757 | 12 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:36.852 | 1:36.020 | 1:35.762 | 12 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:37.264 | 1:36.245 | 1:35.871 | 12 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:37.174 | 1:36.410 | 1:37.210 | 18 |
| 10 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:37.106 | 1:36.814 | 1:37.673 | 18 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:37.332 | 1:37.023 | 12 | |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:37.721 | 1:37.220 | 9 | |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:37.651 | 1:37.527 | 12 | |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:37.729 | 1:37.566 | 12 | |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:37.179 | DNF | 8 | |
| 16 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:37.883 | DNF | 9 | |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:37.970 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:37.980 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:38.233 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:38.600 | 6 | ||
| 21 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:38.611 | 6 | ||
| 22 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:38.933 | 6 |
McLaren placed both cars on the third row in the qualifying order, with Lando Norris sixth and Oscar Piastri seventh. George Russell, who won last weekend in Azerbaijan, could manage only eighth in the second Mercedes. Pierre Gasly took ninth for Alpine, while Gabriel Bortoleto put Audi into Q3 and finished tenth.
Racing Bulls fell short of Q3 despite Arvid Lindblad’s attempt to give team-mate Liam Lawson a tow. Lawson was the first driver eliminated in Q2 and qualified 11th. Lindblad reached Q2 but chose not to set a time; a power unit change is set to send him to the back of the race grid.
Fernando Alonso qualified 12th, followed by Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll. Both Aston Martins reached Q2, a marked improvement on much of the team’s earlier season form. Franco Colapinto also advanced from Q1 but did not record a Q2 time. The Alpine driver faces a five-place penalty for his collision in Baku and a further ten-place penalty for a new engine.
Nico Hulkenberg missed Q2 by a narrow margin and finished 17th, immediately ahead of Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon. Ocon felt Haas had sent him out too early, compromising his chance to improve. Alex Albon was 20th for Williams, with the Cadillacs of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez 21st and 22nd. The penalties ahead of them mean both Cadillac drivers are set to gain places on the final grid.
Verstappen’s qualifying position is secure at the front, but the order behind him will change once the grid drops are applied. Hamilton has the clearest view of the Red Bull into Turn 1, while Hadjar’s third-fastest lap leaves him with ground to recover on race day.
Race Guide
Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Sepang International Circuit
Laps: 56
Circuit length: 5.543 km (3.444 mi)
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