2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - Sepang Driver Ratings

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was a dramatic affair, with weather and formation lap chaos causing headlines early on.

However, the drama did not stop there, as a race full of action unfolded, with Max Verstappen coming out on top for Red Bull.

The four-time champion crossed the line ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, who also had strong displays of their own to get onto the podium.

But who was in top form, and who failed to impress in Malaysia?

See RacingNews365's driver ratings below!

The top five

Max Verstappen - 9.5

Verstappen was imperious from Saturday onward, topping qualifying with a 1:35.130 to beat Lewis Hamilton to pole. In the race, he used his clear track position to build a buffer through the drying intermediate phase, managing his tyres superbly over Kimi Antonelli to take a comfortable win. Even with a late Safety Car bunching the field, Verstappen controlled the restart without drama. A near-faultless weekend from the Red Bull driver.

Lewis Hamilton - 9

Hamilton split the Red Bulls in qualifying, locking out the front row alongside Verstappen with a 1:35.428. The race proved trickier, with Isack Hadjar and Antonelli briefly ahead of him in the order, but Hamilton preserved his tyres through the mixed conditions and mounted a strong late surge to claim third. It was a mature, patient drive that yielded Ferrari's best result of the weekend alongside Charles Leclerc.

Fernando Alonso - 9

Alonso's Saturday was another step forward, qualifying 12th for Aston Martin, but his race told an even better story. Navigating the treacherous mixed conditions and the late restart without incident, the Spaniard methodically picked his way through the order to finish eighth. It represented one of the drives of the day, and a reminder that experience still counts for plenty in changeable conditions at Sepang.

Kimi Antonelli - 8.5

Antonelli qualified a strong fourth and converted that into a brilliant runner-up finish, extending his title lead The Mercedes driver kept pace with Verstappen for large stretches before the Dutchman's tyre management proved decisive in clear air. Even so, finishing ahead of both Ferraris and the second Red Bull of Hadjar was a significant statement from the 20-year-old Italian.

Charles Leclerc - 8

Leclerc qualified fifth, a tenth and a half off his team-mate, and spent the race working his way into contention. Like Hamilton, he preserved his tyres through the tricky conditions and advanced during the closing laps to take fourth, giving Ferrari a double points haul to end a difficult weekend on a high note.

The bottom five

Gabriel Bortoleto - 5

Bortoleto qualified a respectable 10th for Audi but ruined his race with a Safety Car restart collision that tagged Carlos Sainz and sent both drivers tumbling down the order. The stewards handed him a 10-second penalty for causing the incident, and he eventually finished 18th. A promising Saturday undone entirely by a self-inflicted error at the restart.

Alex Albon - 5

Albon qualified a lowly 20th for Williams and his afternoon unravelled further from there. A delayed double-stack pit stop under the early Safety Car cost him further ground, and he was running 19th when a gearbox failure forced retirement on Lap 41. His stricken car then triggered the late Safety Car that compressed the field for the finish, denying him even a passive role in the shake-up.

Valtteri Bottas - 5

Bottas qualified 21st for Cadillac, already facing an uphill task in Malaysia's slippery early conditions. His race lasted only nine laps before he lost grip on slick tyres and speared into the gravel trap at Turn 13. A short and forgettable weekend for the Finn, with little to salvage from either session.

Sergio Perez - 5

Perez's weekend was compromised from the start, exiting in Q1 and lining up at the back of the grid. His opening stint on slick tyres in wet conditions left him on the back foot, and although he attempted to recover through a five-stop strategy, ill-timed Safety Car periods repeatedly neutralised his pace. He finished 19th, never truly in the fight.

Lando Norris - 4.5

Norris's weekend was a mess from the opening laps, when a gamble on slick medium tyres on a still-wet track left him exposed and sliding through the order. Worse followed late on, when he ran into the Turn 1 gravel avoiding a collision with Oscar Piastri after George Russell's retirement under the Safety Car. The FIA handed him a reprimand for erratic driving behind the Safety Car, citing low sun and reduced visibility as contributing factors. He salvaged two points in ninth, but it did little to soften a chastening afternoon for the McLaren driver.