Max Verstappen takes first victory of the season in Malaysia after 90 minute race delay

Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season after navigating a disrupted Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

He finished over two-tenths ahead of title leader Kimi Antonelli after a late Safety Car was deployed.

Relive the action below.

- Max Verstappen wins disrupted Bahrain GP, Kimi Antonelli extends lead as George Russell retires
- Bahrain GP in Malaysia: George Russell suffers major title blow after race retirement

Last to first

Last Update:

32 minutes ago

2 hours ago

09:31 UTC

Pinned

• Max Verstappen wins for first time this season
• Kimi Antonelli extends lead in the championship
• George Russell retires in closing stages

32 minutes ago

10:39 UTC

See you next week

And so we roll on to Singapore. See you there next weekend!

32 minutes ago

10:38 UTC

The standings

Kimi Antonelli now leads by 84 points ...

1. Kimi Antonelli -- 320 points
2. George Russell -- 236
3. Lewis Hamilton -- 214
4. Charles Leclerc -- 191
5. Lando Norris -- 188
6. Max Verstappen -- 188

37 minutes ago

10:34 UTC

What a crazy, and long, race ...

40 minutes ago

10:31 UTC

Lewis Hamilton who came third: "Big congratulations to Max, what a tough race that was. We made the wrong call at the beginning and I thought the race was over for us."

40 minutes ago

10:30 UTC

Kimi Antonelli: "Second was the maximum we could have done, there is a lot of work to do."

41 minutes ago

10:29 UTC

'A really nice win'

Max Verstappen: "It's a really nice win after the year we have had. It was a hectic race at the start and we made the right call with the tyres."

an hour ago

10:23 UTC

Lewis Hamilton was down in 17th at the start of the race and he ends on the podium!

an hour ago

10:21 UTC

The top 10

1. Max Verstappen
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Isack Hadjar
6. Oscar Piastri
7. Liam Lawson
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Lando Norris
10. Arvid Lindblad

55º
Lap

Verstappen WINS in Malaysia/Bahrain

What a drive. Max Verstappen and Red Bull win for the first time all year. The race had pretty much everything!

54º
Lap

Charles Leclerc is able to pass Isack Hadjar now as Ferrari end this race so strongly. MotoGP legend Mick Doohan is out with the flag as Max Verstappen looks comfortable up front.

53º
Lap

The top six

1. Max Verstappen
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Isack Hadjar
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Oscar Piastri

53º
Lap

Hamilton third!

Lewis Hamilton has the pace and guile to fly past Isack Hadjar and go up into third place. The crowd go NUTS!

52º
Lap

Lewis Hamilton is right on Isack Hadjar's tail ...

52º
Lap

We race again and there is only four laps left! Max Verstappen guns the Red Bull ...

51º
Lap

The safety car is coming in at the end of this lap. Good news for Kimi Antonelli in the title race, while Isack Hadjar is on the podium as it stands.

50º
Lap

Also, that Mercedes is on the side of the track and will need recovering. We may not restart this race.

Lando Norris has also been off track and into the gravel.

50º
Lap

Russell out of the race!

Wow! George Russell pulls his Mercedes to the side of the track and his car is done. What a disaster from third place.

49º
Lap

1. Max Verstappen
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. George Russell
4. Isack Hadjar
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Lando Norris
9. Liam Lawson
10. Fernando Alonso

48º
Lap

This is a bit of a farce, the Albon car has been cleared but we are all behind the safety car as sone lapped cars are being let through. Taking an age.

Show More Posts

The Red Bull driver crossed the line nearly three-tenths ahead of the seven-time world champion Hamilton.

The last time four-time world champion Verstappen took pole position was at the season finale in Abu Dhabi at the end of last season.

He said afterwards: "It is fantastic, we have been trying in many grands prix to get pole, sometimes a bit closer than others but to finally get it from where we started this season, pretty incredible.

"I am happy with today and for sure I am going to try to win tomorrow. When you start first, that is the target."

Title leader Kimi Antonelli has been promoted to third after Red Bull's Isack Hadjar has been handed a five-second penalty for a new power unit elements part.

Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari qualified in fifth, over half a second off the leader's pace.

McLaren were off the pace with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri down in sixth and seventh respectively.

George Russell, who is 66 points adrift of his teammate Antonelli in the title standings, qualified in eighth.

"There is going to be a lot happening tomorrow. The tyre degradation is huge and, race pace will be king, so even though today was a real disappointment, it is not the be all and end all," he said.

The venue is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix after the race was cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East.