Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix after a race plagued by heavy rain and a chaotic start delay lasting one hour and 33 minutes. Numerous cars broke down in the wet conditions, forcing a postponement before the race finally got underway. George Russell’s hopes of challenging for the world championship were dashed by an engine failure with just five laps remaining, having been running in third place.
Kimi Antonelli finished in second place, while Lewis Hamilton impressed with a comeback drive from 18th on the grid to claim the final podium spot. Lando Norris encountered difficulties late in the race, dropping to ninth place after going off track under safety car conditions in his McLaren.
The event, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, was overshadowed by the poor performance of this season’s new cars in wet conditions, which had already faced criticism. After torrential rain, a race delay saw Formula One officials abandon the initial start when several drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, experienced software issues related to the cars' complex hybrid power units. These problems prevented them from accelerating properly.
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The cars returned to the pit lane while the rain stopped, but racing did not resume for another 53 minutes as the track gradually dried. The delay lacked clear explanation and frustrated teams and drivers alike. Once restarted, the race began with two safety car laps before a standing start. Verstappen initially dropped to third but regained the lead after a safety car period on lap 13 and held on to win by 2.3 seconds ahead of Antonelli.
Russell’s retirement due to a power unit failure leaves him 84 points behind Antonelli with seven races remaining, making his championship aspirations increasingly unlikely.
Drivers struggled with the new power unit regulations, particularly managing the balance between combustion engine and battery power in wet conditions. Mercedes test driver Anthony Davidson commented that if a driver remains off the throttle too long, the turbocharger slows and the car relies heavily on battery power, which can quickly deplete, leaving insufficient power to accelerate.
Verstappen, who has been critical of this year’s rules, found his way through the technical difficulties and eventually led the race. Some drivers, including double world champion Fernando Alonso, questioned decisions to red-flag the race, advocating for continuation despite the challenges.
The race eventually restarted at 4:33pm local time, with teams choosing different tyre strategies. Red Bull and Mercedes opted for intermediate tyres, while Ferrari and McLaren chose slick tyres, which proved less effective as the track dried. Russell made an impressive start, moving from seventh to second, with Antonelli taking the lead and Hamilton dropping back due to tyre issues.
Valtteri Bottas’s crash on lap nine brought out a safety car, allowing leaders to switch from intermediates to dry tyres, with Verstappen moving ahead. The race saw further safety car periods, including one late in the race when Alex Albon’s car stopped in gear on the track.
Russell’s engine failure ended his chance at a podium and significantly affected his title challenge. Meanwhile, Verstappen maintained control to claim victory, with Hamilton’s strong drive earning him his first podium since the British Grand Prix in July.