Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on F1's return to the Sepang International Circuit.
In the first qualifying session on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur since 2017, Lewis Hamilton joined the Red Bull driver in locking out the front row of the grid.
Isack Hadjar rounded out the top three, ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. However, the Frenchman will serve a five-place grid penalty for an engine change and start from eighth.
As a result, Lando Norris will start fifth, with Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren alongside. George Russell moves from eighth to seventh, after a disappointing effort for the British driver.
It is the first non-Mercedes power unit pole of the campaign, with Antonelli, Russell and Norris the only drivers to top a grid-setting session until now.
As a result, Red Bull-Ford claimed its first pole as a partnership. It is also the first for the American marque since 1999, when it powered Stewart and Rubens Barrichello to pole in the French Grand Prix in Magny-Cours.
Aston Martin defied expectations with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll getting out of Q1, marking the first time all season that both AMR26s made it into Q2.
They ultimately qualified P12 and P14, respectively, sandwiching the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
Check out the full results from qualifying for the 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia below!
Result Qualifying - Bahrain
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results are being loaded... | ||||
Most read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!