Max Verstappen ended his winless streak by claiming victory at the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, marking a significant moment in the championship battle. Verstappen’s triumph came as George Russell retired, giving a substantial points advantage to Kimi Antonelli.
With only five laps remaining, Verstappen was leading the race ahead of Antonelli and Russell when the latter encountered a power unit issue, forcing him to retire. This setback allowed Antonelli to extend his lead over Russell from 66 to 84 points, with seven races left in the season, including upcoming events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes informed Antonelli via radio communication that Russell had experienced technical difficulties, leaving the British driver disappointed. Antonelli secured second place, while Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari overtook Verstappen’s teammate, Isack Hadjar, to claim third.
Verstappen, a four-time champion, celebrated his first win since the previous season’s finale, attributing his success to recent upgrades on his Red Bull car. This victory continued his streak of winning at least one race each year since joining Red Bull in 2016, with his only winless season being his rookie year in 2015.
The triumph also marked the first win for Red Bull Ford Powertrains, a collaboration between Red Bull and Ford. The race, initially delayed due to rain and software issues, took place at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, a relocation prompted by the Iran conflict, making it F1’s first event at the venue since 2017.
Hamilton’s podium finish signaled a remarkable recovery for Ferrari, following a series of disappointing races. Despite a challenging start, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc starting on dry-weather tires as the track dried out, the team managed to secure third and fourth places, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in sixth after a fierce battle with Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls, who finished seventh. Fernando Alonso achieved eighth place for Aston Martin, with Lando Norris and Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top ten.
