Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will share the front row at an F1 race for the first time since 2023 in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - on a grid heavily adjusted after penalties.
The two champions will share the front row for the 15th time in their careers, and are just two of eight drivers who will start the race in Sepang, which gets underway at 15:00 local time, 08:00 BST, from where they qualified.
The reason for this is that three drivers have been handed penalties.
Isack Hadjar drops from third on the road to eighth after an engine penalty, whilst Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad drop to the back of the 22-car grid after engine penalties of their own. In the case of Colapinto, he is also carrying a five-place demotion for causing the Turn 1 collision last time out in Azerbaijan.
Kimi Antonelli goes from third for Mercedes with team-mate George Russell a lowly seventh, whilst Fernando Alonso secured Aston Martin's best position of the season with a strong 12th place.
Check out the full adjusted starting grid for the 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia below.
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.
2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia starting grid
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| POLE | 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 - PENALTY | 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. | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 17. | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 18. | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 19. | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac |
| 20. | Sergio Perez | Cadillac |
| 21. | Franco Colapinto - PENALTY | Alpine |
| 22. | Arvid Lindblad - PENALTY | Racing Bulls |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Azerbaijan GP but also look ahead to F1's return this weekend to Malaysia! Rumours linking Christian Horner with a return to the sport is a major talking point.
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