Verstappen takes first 2026 pole ahead of Hamilton

Max Verstappen secured his and Red Bull's first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, staged at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The four-time world champion paced every segment of the session, finishing nearly three-tenths of a second clear of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton to lock in an old rivalry on the front row of the starting grid.

Verstappen clocked a time of 1:35.130, beating Hamilton by 0.298 seconds, according to BBC Sport. The achievement marked Verstappen's first pole and race start from the front since the conclusion of the 2025 season in Abu Dhabi, capping an encouraging turnaround for Red Bull following recent aerodynamic updates introduced at the prior round in Azerbaijan.

The event is taking place in Malaysia after being rescheduled earlier in the season due to conflict in the Middle East. High temperatures proved challenging for tyre management, but Red Bull's developments demonstrated immediate pace on the Sepang layout. Red Bull's second driver, Isack Hadjar, initially qualified in third place, trailing Verstappen by 0.428 seconds. However, Hadjar carries a five-place grid penalty, which elevates Mercedes driver and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli onto the second row in third.

Antonelli, who had his opening run in the second qualifying phase scratched for exceeding track limits, was left with only one fresh tyre set for the top-ten shootout and finished 0.501 seconds adrift of the pole time. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed fifth, positioning himself ahead of McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Mercedes driver George Russell struggled for grip and pace throughout the afternoon, landing in eighth place, 0.741 seconds off the benchmark time.

Behind the front runners, Alpine's Pierre Gasly took ninth, while Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top ten after advancing to the final round, contrasting with an early first-round exit for his teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Further back, Fernando Alonso, who recently agreed to extend his Formula 1 career into 2027, secured 12th place for Aston Martin. The position marked the team's best qualifying outcome of the 2026 season so far, following chassis and aerodynamic updates. Alonso finished behind Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and ahead of Williams driver Carlos Sainz, with Lance Stroll taking 14th in the second Aston Martin.