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Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia, marking his first pole of the season and a significant setback for Mercedes. Verstappen outpaced Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari by 0.298 seconds with Isack Hadjar taking third. This is Red Bull’s first pole since they switched to non-Mercedes engines this year. Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell qualified fourth and eighth respectively, but Russell will move up one spot due to a penalty for Hadjar. The race takes place at Malaysia's Sepang circuit, which has not hosted an F1 event since 2017.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix was held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia this weekend, marking its return to the country after a nine-year absence. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, secured pole position with a time of 1:35.130 seconds, his first of the season. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton qualified second, despite Mercedes having brought an upgrade package to Malaysia; George Russell started seventh, leaving team boss Toto Wolff puzzled by their performance.
The track at Sepang is described as resembling "sandpaper" due to its rough surface and high temperatures, causing significant tyre degradation. Red Bull introduced a major aerodynamic update following the Azerbaijan race, which proved effective on this demanding circuit. With Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar facing a five-place grid penalty, championship leader Kimi Antonelli is set to start third alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, positioning him well for Sunday's race.
Verstappen's performance underscores his dominance and potential for another strong season, while Mercedes faces questions about their competitiveness after the upgrades failed to deliver expected results.
Written for “F1 In Malaysia” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on a rare off day for Mercedes and Formula 1 standings leader Kimi Antonelli.
asserted
Verstappen → qualify → Mercedes
Verstappen went fastest by 0.298 of a second from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar .130 further back in third.
asserted
teammate → go → third
That’s a big step toward Verstappen achieving his target of avoiding a first winless season since his 2015 rookie year.
asserted
Verstappen → ’ → year
Verstappen’s pole ends run for Mercedes-powered cars
It was an “incredible result for us looking at the season,” Verstappen said.
asserted
Verstappen → end → season
“I felt good, felt confident and I hope we can show that again tomorrow.”
asserted
we → feel → that
Verstappen won the last time F1 raced at the Sepang circuit back in 2017.
asserted
F1 → win → 2017
His pole position is the first this year for a car powered by a non-Mercedes engine after Mercedes, McLaren and Alpine — all with Mercedes power — topped every qualifying session until now.
asserted
Mercedes → power → session
Antonelli qualified only fourth, with his Mercedes teammate and closest title challenger George Russell only eighth.
asserted
teammate → qualify → ?
Both are set to move up a place on the grid for Sunday’s race because Hadjar has a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine over the allocation for the season.
asserted
Hadjar → set → season
Hamilton’s second place came as a relief to the seven-time champion amid a slump in results at Ferrari, which has denied speculation over team principal Fred Vasseur’s future.
asserted
which → come → future
“Let’s go guys, let’s go.
asserted
’s → go → ?
Finally,” Hamilton said over the radio.
asserted
Hamilton → say → radio
Russell blames tire trouble for Mercedes’ lack of pace
Qualifying so low is another blow to Russell’s chances of cutting into Antonelli’s 66-point lead, and tire troubles played a role.
asserted
troubles → blame → role
The Sepang circuit has an abrasive surface that chews up tires and causes them to overheat.
asserted
them → have → tires
That made it even more challenging than usual to pick the right setup to get the best out of the car in qualifying without compromising pace for Sunday’s race.
asserted
it → make → race
“It’s a very demanding circuit on the tires, the tarmac is all broke up, it’s extremely rough, it’s so hot out there and the tires are going through hell,” Russell told broadcaster Sky Sports.
asserted
Russell → ’ → Sports
“For whatever reason, it seems to be affecting us far more than others.”
asserted
it → seem → others
Once again, the weather in Malaysia stayed dry for Saturday’s sessions despite predictions of heavy rain earlier in the week.
asserted
weather → stay → week
F1 is racing at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit for the first time since 2017.
asserted
F1 → race → 2017
It’s a replacement event after the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off earlier this year due to the Iran war.
asserted
races → ’ → war
The race keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and Bahraini staff are organizing it on site.
asserted
staff → keep → site
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