Formula 1 returns to a fan-favourite circuit this weekend as the Sepang circuit in Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off event.
George Russell got his season back on track with a first victory in three months at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out, pipping Max Verstappen to the line to narrow the deficit on championship leader and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points.
Antonelli, who crashed out of qualifying, recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth while Isack Hadjar joined Verstappen on the podium on a positive day for Red Bull. However, it was a tricky day for McLaren and Ferrari, who both struggled for form and pace.
As for this weekend, Bahrain’s original grand prix date in April was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East. The Gulf country have, however, opted to pay the hosting fees to have their name attached to Sepang’s return to the calendar for the first time in nine years this weekend.
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F1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA - LATEST UPDATES
- The Bahrain GP in Malaysia will start at 8am (BST)
- Max Verstappen on pole; Hamilton 2nd; Antonelli 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in qualifying
- READ: How Malaysia stepped in to fill F1 void with 10 weeks notice
What time is the race?
11:21 , Kieran JacksonThe Bahrain Grand Prix, taking place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, starts at 8am (BST).
Kimi Antonelli on the race:
23:00 , Kieran Jackson"Track position is going to be very important. Strategy is going to be really important.
"It's a race where we will attack. Because undercut (stopping first and gaining time on a rival on fresh tyres) is incredibly powerful.
"So whenever there's an opportunity, we should go for maybe an undercut and try to maximise our opportunity.
"Tomorrow might be two stops, three stops. We don't know. But the only thing we know is that it's going to be roasting hot out there."
Verstappen vs Hamilton - ghost car
22:00 , Kieran JacksonSome cool insight here:
GHOST 👻 CAR
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 3, 2026
Hamilton vs. Verstappen 🍿#F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/ApvELgB0AP
Pierre Gasly who qualified P9:
21:00 , Kieran Jackson“The car has been competitive again today and we reached our target of being in Q3, so I am happy we achieved that.
“We knew P9 was probably the best we could realistically do, so we decided to use two used sets of Softs in Q3 and save a set of new Softs for tomorrow in case they are needed. With Gabriel [Bortoleto] in Q3, we just needed to be ahead of him, which we managed. I am pleased with the car at the moment, it's in a comfortable place, quick enough for Q3 regularly as we have seen at the last couple of races, and we just have to keep working hard as the gap to those ahead is still just too far.
“It's a very fun track to drive, fast and flowing and I am sure it will bring some big challenges tomorrow. We know the target tomorrow is to translate this performance into points, and I am sure we will see different strategies up and down the field so we will need to stay focused and ready to adapt to anything which might spring up in the race.”
Isack Hadjar after qualifying third
20:01 , Kieran Jackson"I jumped in a car that's way better than when I left it in Budapest," said Hadjar.
"Definitely, when you step out actually for three races and you come back, you actually notice a bigger difference. And the last two weekends have been surprising."
A reminder: Hadjar will start in eighth due to a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his permitted number of engine parts.
Oscar Piastri on starting P6:
19:00 , Kieran Jackson“That’s qualifying done. A P7 result, but starting P6 tomorrow due to a penalty ahead. Overall, it was a decent session, but we’re still struggling for pace. I just didn’t get the best final lap, and had no grip at Turn Two, meaning we weren’t able to get the last bit of performance out of the car.
“Looking ahead, it is going to be a long and tough one tomorrow. Our long-run pace looked pretty good yesterday, but the competitors around us didn’t look bad either, so it may be tricky to move forward, but we will do what we can to maximise strategy and any overtaking potential here. Let’s see what’s possible.”
Max Verstappen on Red Bull's first pole of the year:
18:00 , Kieran Jackson"It's been an incredible result for us," Verstappen said. "Looking at the season, how it started for us and the progression that we have made. At some tracks we were kind of close, but now I think this weekend it was very positive for us.
"We have been adding bits to the car and they have worked. It's simple as that. When they work, you gain lap time, you have a better overall balance in the car.
"So with tyres that are very sensitive to balance, that gives you also more lap time.
"And then on a track probably where it's all very hot and you want a, let's say, stable balance or connected balance, then that's very important. And that's what we have found a little bit more over the last weekends."
A reminder of the starting grid:
17:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)*
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
16. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Alex Albon (Williams)
19. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
20. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
21. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)**
22. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)***
*Hadjar has a five-place grid drop due to exceeding his power unit allocation
**Colapinto has a 15-place grid drop due to engine penalties and his penalty for the crash in Baku
***Lindblad has a back-of-the-grid engine penalty
Lewis Hamilton on impressive Malaysia F1 qualifying: ‘My best lap of the year’
16:05 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton was jubilant after his best qualifying performance in nearly four months at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The Ferrari driver secured his first front-row start since Barcelona in June with P2 in qualifying on Saturday and will start alongside Max Verstappen, who secured his first pole position of the season for Red Bull.
Mercedes and McLaren, meanwhile, were on the back foot as two drivers who have previous experience at the Sepang circuit – featuring on the calendar for the first time since 2017 – in Verstappen and Hamilton came out on top.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton on impressive Malaysia F1 qualifying: ‘My best lap of the year’
Lando Norris, who'll start in fifth:
14:00 , Kieran Jackson“We’re just slow. The car is not good enough here, this tarmac is very different to other tracks and you see Mercedes struggle a lot more, the order is shaken-up a bit, we struggle a bit more than what we were expecting.
“My lap was good, I'm satisfied with my performance but the car is a long way off.”
Podium? “A big ask, six-tenths off... long runs didn't look too bad yesterday. Hoping we can catch up a bit. Struggling on the straight with the power unit and that makes my life tougher as it should be. We need to do a better job as a team, a long race, so we can still be optimistic for sure.”
QUALIFYING REPORT: Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on intriguing front row as F1 returns to Malaysia
13:14 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix – as George Russell’s outside title hopes were dealt a significant blow after he qualified only eighth.
Verstappen delivered an emphatic lap on F1’s return to Malaysia – with Sunday’s rearranged Bahrain round taking place at the Sepang International Circuit because of the conflict in the Middle East – to take his first pole since the concluding round in Abu Dhabi last December.
Verstappen, in a class of one all afternoon, saw off Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by three tenths of a second.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on intriguing front row as F1 returns to Malaysia
Kimi Antonelli, who will start P3:
12:30 , Kieran Jackson“Shame for the mistake [in Q2] – all in all, without a track limit, maybe P2, P3 on the road. With only one set in Q3, it’s never easy but Max today did an incredible job and also Ferrari. We have to be happy, it could’ve been much worse, we focus on tomorrow.
On race: “It’ll be interesting. However, I think Max has the edge on pace and the Ferrari looked pretty strong - it’ll be tight and the deg will be huge, important to manage those temperatures.
“If we can win, we’ll go for it, if we have to settle for a P2, P3, we’ll take that.”
Feels like a key final line for the championship there...
George Russell, who will start down in 7th:
11:45 , Kieran Jackson“From first practice, we seemed to be OK, but we’ve made no improvements since – it’s a very demanding circuit on the tyres and for whatever reason, it’s affecting us more than others.
“I hope we can fight for the podium, I think Max and Red Bull are out of reach, but tyre deg will be huge.... also, we’ll see drivers on the hard tyres and soft, a lot of opportunity.”
Full starting grid:
10:57 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)*
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
16. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Alex Albon (Williams)
19. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
20. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
21. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)**
22. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)***
*Hadjar has a five-place grid drop due to exceeding his power unit allocation
**Colapinto has a 15-place grid drop due to engine penalties and his penalty for the crash in Baku
***Lindblad has a back-of-the-grid engine penalty
Isack Hadjar after qualifying third:
10:43 , Kieran Jackson“The car’s been very good since last week; good to come back at such a time, I’m enjoying it. Wasn’t my finest qualifying session but it’s a good result.
On starting P8: “Unfortunately, we take a penalty on a track we’re that quick... but from eighth hopefully we can get through the field.”
Lewis Hamilton delighted after P2:
10:32 , Kieran Jackson“Listen to this crowd - this is the biggest crowd we’ve seen here in my time of driving. Love this energy, it’s so hot here! It made it a massive challenge for the tyres and car, really thankful to my team.
“We made so many changes throughout this practice session; it was really hard to find a good balance. We made one last change which hit the sweet spot, to close the gap to Max is great.
“Much happier with where the car is - tomorrow is a completely different ballgame. The tyres are overheating from the get-go. We have a good balance - will try my best to hold on for tomorrow.”
Max Verstappen after claiming pole:
10:21 , Kieran Jackson“Fantastic – been trying for many grands prix to get pole. Pretty incredible from where we were at the start of the season.”
“I’m happy for today, will try to win tomorrow.”
Lewis Hamiton on team radio after his front-row berth:
10:13 , Kieran Jackson“Come on guys, let’s go, well done - great job in that session.”
Top-10 in Q3
10:06 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)*
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. George Russell (Mercedes)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
*Hadjar has a five-place grid drop due to exceeding his power unit allocation
Max Verstappen on pole position
10:02 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen goes quicker and takes top spot!
The margin is 0.298 secs to... Lewis Hamilton in second!
3-10: Hadjar, Antonelli, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Gasly, Bortoleto
Hadjar will drop to eighth with that grid drop but, still, a very disappointing qualifying for George Russell.
Kimi Antonelli goes third
09:58 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli will probably only have one lap and it’s solid: P3. Still 0.381 secs off Verstappen! It looks set up for the Red Bull driver...
Now all the remaining candidates are out for their final laps!
Top-10: Verstappen, Hadjar, Antonelli, Hamilton, Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Bortoleto, Gasly
A reminder that Hadjar has a five-place grid drop, so won’t be on the front-row anyhow...
Max Verstappen on provisional pole
09:54 , Kieran JacksonNow that is a Red Bull statement!
A one-two for the team after the first runs, with Verstappen three-tenths clear of his teammate.
3-10: Hamilton, Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Bortoleto, Gasly, Antonelli
Antonelli yet to set his lap - but Russell struggling! Where is the Mercedes pace?
6:00 to go in Q3...
Q3 underway
09:49 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then!
Who’ll be on pole in Sepang?
10 drivers involved: Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Hadjar, Gasly, Bortoleto
Out in Q2
09:44 , Kieran Jackson11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
16. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
Bortoleto through to Q3
09:42 , Kieran JacksonRight at the death, Bortoleto pips Lawson to P10.
Bottom-six and out in Q2 (11-16): Lawson, Alonso, Sainz, Stroll, Colapinto, Lindblad
Pierre Gasly is the other non-big-hitter through to Q3...
Antonelli up to second
09:40 , Kieran JacksonAnd breathe, Antonelli fans.
The Italian goes P2 ahead of the final runs...
Antonelli goes out on new softs
09:35 , Kieran JacksonNot ideal for the Italian, who may now be compromised for Q3. Anyhow, he’s out on his own on new softs with six minutes left in Q2.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Stroll, Sainz, Antonelli, Lindblad, Colapinto, Alonso
Antonelli loses time for track limits
09:33 , Kieran JacksonUnforced error from the championship leader.
His top-three lap was deleted for track limits at turn 6. “Wait, what?!” he says. It looks slam dunk.
He drops to the bottom of the pack. Interesting...
Q2 underway
09:27 , Kieran JacksonNo action in the pit-lane as the light switches to green at the end of the pit-lane.
Who will make it to the top-10 shootout?
Out in Q1
09:26 , Kieran Jackson17. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
18. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
20. Alex Albon (Williams)
21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
22. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
Bearman out in Q1
09:21 , Kieran JacksonThe Briton looked to be struggling a bit coming out of the final corner and is out in Q1. Meanwhile, Bortoleto knocked out Audi teammate Hulkenberg by leapfrogging late on all the way up to eighth.
Bottom-six and out in Q2 (17-22): Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon, Albon, Bottas, Perez
Both Aston Martins through!
Albon and Bearman with work to do
09:18 , Kieran JacksonOut they all come - well, all aside from the safe top-seven - for their final Q1 laps.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Ocon, Albon, Bearman, Stroll, Bottas, Perez
Lewis Hamilton slots into second
09:12 , Kieran JacksonFerrari are right up there at the moment, with Hamilton and Leclerc second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, at the bottom, the first laps from the pack are in.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Ocon, Albon, Bearman, Stroll, Bottas, Perez
7:00 left in Q1...
Arvid Lindblad on team radio:
09:12 , Kieran Jackson“On the front-right I can feel like a rattling noise.”
Lindblad currently P11. All the cars now in the pit-lane as they prepare for their final runs...
6:00 left in Q1.
Max Verstappen sets benchmark
09:08 , Kieran JacksonIt’s early in Q1... but that is quick!
Verstappen goes top by half-a-second to Antonelli. First few laps coming in now...
Q1 underway
09:02 , Kieran JacksonEsteban Ocon, who was confirmed to be leaving Haas this week, the first man out on track as qualifying gets underway with grey skies overhead.... but just a 10% chance of rain.
18 minutes for this opening session where we’ll lose the slowest six cars from the rest of qualifying.
Grid penalties for Sunday
08:58 , Kieran JacksonSomething to bear in mind for qualifying: three drivers have grid drops for tomorrow:
- Isack Hadjar - 5 places (engine)
- Arvid Lindblad - back of grid (engine)
- Franco Colapinto - 15 places (engine and Azerbaijan crash)
Qualifying in Malaysia
08:50 , Kieran JacksonThis feels very open this morning!
We’ve had three different teams top the three practice sessions but Kimi Antonelli’s quick FP3 time feels significant. Can George Russell, his Mercedes teammate and title rival, make his own statement a week on from winning from pole in Baku?
And what about the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc - are they in the battle this morning?!
Qualifying is just 10 minutes away!
08:45 , Kieran Jackson Constructor standings ahead of Bahrain GP in Malaysia
1. Mercedes - 538 points
2. Ferrari - 378 points
3. McLaren - 306 points
4. Red Bull - 263 points
5. Racing Bulls - 83 points
6. Alpine - 68 points
7. Haas - 27 points
8. Audi - 17 points
9. Williams - 12 points
10. Aston Martin - 3 points
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Charles Leclerc speaking after Friday practice
08:40 , Kieran Jackson"Everybody is very close. It's been a very difficult day overall.
"The track conditions were very tricky. The track was quite dirty and very slippery so things will evolve and change a lot from today until tomorrow and we have to be on the good side of that anticipating that in the best possible way.
"I felt quite good with the car but I still feel like the Red Bull is standing out this weekend so far.”
Driver standings ahead of Bahrain GP in Malaysia
08:35 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 302 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 236 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 199 points
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 186 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 179 points
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 163 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 120 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 86 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 59 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points
How Malaysia stepped in to host Bahrain Grand Prix and fill F1 calendar void with 10 weeks’ notice
08:28 , Kieran JacksonWhen Malaysia ended their 18-year partnership with Formula 1 in 2017, notably the first year of Liberty Media’s £6billion takeover of the sport from Bernie Ecclestone, the then-CEO of the Sepang International Circuit did not mince his words. “It’s hard to sell this kind of event and to get bums on seats,” said Razlan Razali, with a hosting fee set at around £30m.
“It’s not worth the investment at the moment.”
Nearly a decade on, such has been the mega-boom in F1 as a commercial entity, including its teams and its popularity with a younger demographic, a plethora of countries now want a slice of the pie. Malaysia has previously stood firm, refusing to get embroiled in a bidding war with other Asian countries – such as Thailand, India and Korea – keen to land a spot on the schedule. Yet in July, the opportunity for a one-off event progressed, from idea to reality, at an impressively quick rate.
How Malaysia stepped in to host Bahrain GP and fill F1 void with 10 weeks’ notice
Top-10 in FP3
08:21 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:36.302
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.278
3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.598
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.610
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.714
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.739
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.859
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +1.064
9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.618
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +1.782
When is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
08:18 , Kieran JacksonTimes BST
Saturday 3 October
- Qualifying: 9am
Saturday 4 October
- Race: 8am
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
08:17 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns to a fan-favourite circuit this weekend as the Sepang circuit in Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off event.
George Russell got his season back on track with a first victory in three months at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out, pipping Max Verstappen to the line to narrow the deficit on championship leader and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points.
Antonelli, who crashed out of qualifying, recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth while Isack Hadjar joined Verstappen on the podium on a positive day for Red Bull. However, it was a tricky day for McLaren and Ferrari, who both struggled for form and pace.
As for this weekend, Bahrain’s original grand prix date in April was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East. The Gulf country have, however, opted to pay the hosting fees to have their name attached to Sepang’s return to the calendar for the first time in nine years this weekend.
QUALIFYING REPORT: Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on intriguing front row as F1 returns to Malaysia
16:19 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix – as George Russell’s outside title hopes were dealt a significant blow after he qualified only eighth.
Verstappen delivered an emphatic lap on F1’s return to Malaysia – with Sunday’s rearranged Bahrain round taking place at the Sepang International Circuit because of the conflict in the Middle East – to take his first pole since the concluding round in Abu Dhabi last December.
Verstappen, in a class of one all afternoon, saw off Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by three tenths of a second.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on intriguing front row as F1 returns to Malaysia
Gabriel Bortoleto after qualifying in 10th:
16:17 , Kieran Jackson“I’m very happy, I think it was a mega lap – overall, all the laps in qualifying were very good and I felt really at ease with the car.
“After a tough weekend in Baku, I think this is a very strong response, and it shows the quality of the upgrades package we brought. The whole midfield has closed the gap now, so hats off to the team for the incredible job they’ve done, putting the car in the right window and giving us the confidence to push. If I was able to deliver this today, it’s thanks to them, and I really appreciate that.”
“There’s going to be a lot of degradation tomorrow, but that’s the same for everyone. Hopefully we can put together a good race, keep the tyres alive and go for the points.”
