Verstappen Claims First Win of the Season in a Rain-Hit Bahrain Grand Prix Held in Malaysia

The Bahrain Grand Prix, held at Sepang, had it all: rain delays, technical issues before the start, contrasting tyre strategies from the grid and multiple Safety Car interventions. Amid the chaos, Max Verstappen emerged victorious after overtaking Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the first restart and managing his advantage all the way to the chequered flag.

The day began with a heavy downpour that forced the start to be delayed by 40 minutes. Several drivers struggled to keep their cars under control on the wet surface, while technical issues during the laps behind the Safety Car led to a further postponement. In the end, the race got underway almost an hour and a half later than scheduled.

Tyre choice proved decisive in the opening stages. While most of the field opted for intermediates, Ferrari and a handful of other teams gambled on slick tyres, anticipating that track conditions would improve quickly.

Verstappen started from pole position but lost the lead into Turn 1 to the Mercedes drivers, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who made better use of the intermediate tyres. Antonelli moved to the front ahead of his teammate, with Verstappen dropping to third.

The race took a significant turn after Valtteri Bottas crashed out. The resulting Safety Car created the perfect opportunity for those who had started on intermediates to switch to slick tyres at the right moment, while the drivers who had gambled on dry-weather tyres from the outset were disadvantaged by a circuit that took longer than expected to dry.

At the Lap 13 restart, Verstappen attacked Antonelli through the opening corners and reclaimed the lead. From that point onwards, the Dutchman controlled the pace and gradually built a margin that he successfully managed to the finish.

The field was brought back together once again following another Safety Car period to recover Alex Albon’s Williams. However, neither that interruption nor the final sprint to the flag altered the outcome. Verstappen remained in control and secured his second consecutive victory following his win in Singapore.

Antonelli crossed the line in second place, strengthening his position in the championship fight. The Italian extended his advantage after Russell, his closest challenger, came to a halt on the start-finish straight just a few laps from the end.

The retirement dealt a major blow to the Briton's title hopes, having spent much of the race running in podium positions.

Hamilton, meanwhile, produced an impressive recovery drive to claim third place. The Briton and Charles Leclerc had both started on slick tyres, a bold strategy that initially dropped them towards the back of the field. As conditions improved, both drivers steadily worked their way forwards, eventually finishing third and fourth respectively.

Isack Hadjar briefly looked capable of securing a podium finish but was unable to resist the charging Ferraris in the closing laps and ultimately finished fifth. Oscar Piastri took sixth place, with Liam Lawson seventh.

Fernando Alonso delivered one of the standout comeback drives of the race. An unfavourable tyre strategy at the start relegated him to the back of the pack, and at one stage he found himself more than a minute behind the race leader. However, the Aston Martin came alive on the hard tyres, allowing the Spaniard to make significant progress during the second half of the race.

Following his final pit stop, Alonso climbed from 13th position by overtaking Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad. He also benefited from Russell's retirement and Lando Norris' late-race off-track excursion.

The Spaniard eventually crossed the line in eighth place, matching his best result of the season.

Carlos Sainz endured a more difficult afternoon. The Madrid-born driver made the right tyre choice for the start and gained several positions off the line, but an incident with Gabriel Bortoleto during one of the restarts compromised the remainder of his race.

The Brazilian was handed a penalty for the collision, while Sainz ultimately finished in 17th place.

Final classification

Here is the final classification from the Bahrein Grand Prix:

Posición	Piloto	País	Equipo
1	Max Verstappen		Red Bull Racing
2	Kimi Antonelli		Mercedes
3	Lewis Hamilton		Ferrari
4	Charles Leclerc		Ferrari
5	Isack Hadjar		Red bull Racing
6	Oscar Piastri		McLaren
7	Liam Lawson		Racing Bulls
8	Fernando Alonso		Aston Martin
9	Lando Norris		MacLaren
9	Arvid Lindblad		Racing Bulls