Sign in Create free accountJoin

News Daily Live

2026 season · round 16 next — Bahrain Grand Prix in MalaysiaSeason overview →2027: next season →Every season →

Driver standings 1

Andrea Kimi Antonelli302 2

George Russell236 3

Lewis Hamilton199

Team standings 1MMercedes538 2FFerrari378 3MMcLaren306

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Baku City Circuit1

George Russell 2MVMax Verstappen 3

Isack HadjarRace Sat 11:00 UTC

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Sepang International Circuit

RaceShowers28°0.7mmRace Sun 07:00 UTC

Standings Results Schedule Calendar

This season's grid · championship orderAll drivers →

Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedes 2

George RussellMercedes 3

Lewis HamiltonFerrari 4

Lando NorrisMcLaren 5CLCharles LeclercFerrari 6MVMax VerstappenRed Bull 7

Oscar PiastriMcLaren 8

Isack HadjarRed Bull 9

Liam LawsonRB F1 Team 10

Pierre GaslyAlpine F1 Team 11ALArvid LindbladRB F1 Team 12

Franco ColapintoAlpine F1 Team 13

Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team 14

Gabriel BortoletoAudi 15

Nico HülkenbergAudi 16

Esteban OconHaas F1 Team 17CSCarlos SainzWilliams 18

Alexander AlbonWilliams 19

Fernando AlonsoAston Martin 20

Yuki TsunodaRB F1 Team 21

Lance StrollAston Martin 22

Valtteri BottasCadillac F1 Team 23SPSergio PérezCadillac F1 Team

Team championship orderAll teams →

1MMercedes538 pts 2FFerrari378 pts 3MMcLaren306 pts 4RBRed Bull263 pts 5RTRB F1 Team83 pts 6ATAlpine F1 Team68 pts 7HTHaas F1 Team27 pts 8AAudi17 pts 9WWilliams12 pts 10AMAston Martin3 pts 11CTCadillac F1 Team0 pts

Radio Watch Predict Quiz

The weekly digest

Every F1 story that mattered, one email, every Monday.

Every headline. Every lap time.

Formula 1 news from every major outlet, grouped into one story per event with neutral AI summaries — plus live timing, results and stats back to 1950.

News

News Daily briefing Live & timing Team radio Where to watch

The season

Season overview Results Standings Schedule Calendar All-time records

The grid

Drivers Teams Circuits Glossary Predictions Quiz

Site

About Contact us RSS

Legal

Terms of use Privacy policy Cookie policy Credits & sources

An independent fan site. Not affiliated with Formula 1, the FIA, or any team. F1 is a trademark of Formula One Licensing B.V.

Max Verstappen leads opening practice at Bahrain GP

News›Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026

Max Verstappen leads opening practice at Bahrain GP

Motorsport.com+ 8 moreFri 2 Oct · 05:38 UTCupdated Sat 3 Oct · 13:06 UTCHave your say

Image via Motorsport.com

The story so farNeutral summary generated from 11 sources

Max Verstappen of Red Bull set the fastest time in the first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. He was followed closely by George Russell, marking a competitive start to the event.

Watch

1 video

Full coverage · 11 articles

Show 6 more from other outletsShow fewer

Loading comments…

First to report

F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen tops FP1Max Verstappen topped opening practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia aboard a highly competitive 2026 Red Bull Formula 1 car in an uninterrupted session at Sepang. The four-time world champion posted a 1m37.520s to go 0.383s quicker than second-placed George Russell of Mercedes, with Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar completing the top three on a 1m38.303s. It came on F1’s ... Keep reading

Motorsport.comFri 2 Oct · 05:38 UTCRead their report →

F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen pips Russell to top FP1Max Verstappen topped opening practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia aboard a highly competitive 2026 Red Bull Formula 1 car in an uninterrupted session at Sepang. The four-time world champion posted a 1m37.520s to go 0.383s quicker than second-placed George Russell of Mercedes, with Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar completing the top three on a 1m38.303s. It came on F1’s ... Keep reading

AutosportFri 2 Oct · 05:40 UTCRead →

Verstappen tops Bahrain GP in Malaysia first practiceRed Bull's Max Verstappen tops the timesheets as Formula 1 returned to the Sepang track for the first time in nine years for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

BBC SportFri 2 Oct · 05:41 UTCRead →

Verstappen makes fast start in Malaysia to outpace RussellMax Verstappen made an impressively fast start to Formula 1's return to the Sepang International Circuit to set the pace from George Russell in the first practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Sky Sports F1Fri 2 Oct · 05:42 UTCRead →

Verstappen leads Russell in Bahrain FP1 in MalaysiaMax Verstappen topped the opening practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, F1's first session at Sepang International Circuit in nine years, ahead of George Russell.

racer.comFri 2 Oct · 05:42 UTCRead →

Max Verstappen sets the early pace in F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in MalaysiaMax Verstappen topped the opening Practice session in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

CrashFri 2 Oct · 05:49 UTCRead →

Bahrain GP: Verstappen tops opening practice at SepangMax Verstappen laid down an early marker for Red Bull on Friday, topping a lively opening practice session...

F1iFri 2 Oct · 05:53 UTCRead →

Verstappen leads FP1 at Bahrain GP in MalaysiaRed Bull's Max Verstappen set the pace during first practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Formula1.comFri 2 Oct · 05:58 UTCRead →

Verstappen sets pace in FP1 at Bahrain GPRed Bull's Max Verstappen set the pace in the first practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

espn.comFri 2 Oct · 06:38 UTCRead →

Verstappen assesses ‘positive’ start in MalaysiaMax Verstappen and Red Bull have given their take on the first day of track action at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with the Dutchman having topped the timesheets in FP1.

Formula1.comFri 2 Oct · 11:39 UTCRead →

F1 Bahrain GP long runs: Max Verstappen the favourite in Malaysia?Max Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver in the long runs during the second free practice session for the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Red Bull driver was running on medium tyres and, after adjusting for the different stint lengths and tyre compounds, came out ahead of the competition. George Russell (+0.19s) in the Mercedes and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (+0.32s) ... Keep reading

Motorsport.comFri 2 Oct · 11:49 UTCRead →

This story

In this story

GRGeorge RussellFollow IgnoreCLCharles LeclercFollow IgnoreMVMax VerstappenFollow IgnoreCPCarlos PaceFollow IgnoreIHIsack HadjarFollow IgnoreFFerrariFollow IgnoreMMercedesFollow IgnoreRBRed BullFollow IgnoreSCSepang International CircuitFollow IgnoreBCBahrain International CircuitFollow Ignore

Related stories

FIA announce Bahrain Grand Prix change after bollard mayhemThe FIA has made changes to the Bahrain Grand Prix regulations following issues caused by a bollard during practice sessions. The bollard's location has been adjusted to prevent minor driver errors from resulting in penalties, allowing for a smoother experience during the race weekend. During the practice sessions, drivers faced challenges with the bollard, which led to penalties for some, including Liam Lawson and George Russell. The FIA's decision to move the bollard aims to reduce the likelihood of drivers being penalised for small mistakes, while still enforcing the rule that any driver passing on the right must enter the pitlane.

gpfans.comSat 3 Oct

Ferrari’s Vigna on Vasseur and fake news: “There is only one reality”Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has publicly supported team principal Fred Vasseur amid growing speculation about his position. Vigna highlighted the need to distinguish between verified facts and unverified opinions, especially in the age of social media, where misinformation can spread rapidly. He recounted an incident where he encountered false claims about his relationship with Vasseur while dining together, underscoring the disconnect between reality and rumour. Vigna acknowledged that Ferrari's performance this season has not met expectations and admitted that their rivals have done a better job. He stressed the importance of focusing on improving the car rather than succumbing to external pressures from speculation. By addressing the situation directly, Vigna believes they have successfully quelled the rumours surrounding Vasseur, allowing the team to concentrate on their technical challenges.

Motorsport.comSat 3 Oct

Has Red Bull made a strategic blunder that could cost Max Verstappen in Malaysia?Max Verstappen has only one set of hard tyres for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia — how costly could that decision prove to be for the Red Bull driver?

RacingNews365Sat 3 Oct

Fernando Alonso details Aston Martin ‘miracle’ after shocking Sepang resultFernando Alonso praised Aston Martin's performance at the Sepang Circuit, where both he and teammate Lance Stroll advanced to the second round of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Alonso achieved a season-best qualifying position of P12, while Stroll qualified 14th, marking a surprising result given the team's ongoing struggles with power deficits this season. Despite the positive outcome, Alonso remained cautious, noting that the team is still less competitive compared to others. He expressed concerns about losing positions during the race due to the speed of faster cars starting behind them, indicating that while the qualifying result was impressive, the team must remain grounded about their overall performance.

Motorsport WeekSat 3 Oct

Honda send clear message as Aston Martin smash through stumbling blockHonda's trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara acknowledged Aston Martin's achievement of getting both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll into Q2 during the Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying. This marked a significant milestone as it was the first time both drivers progressed beyond Q1 together this season, with Alonso starting from P12 and Stroll from P14. The result is particularly noteworthy given the challenges faced by Honda and Aston Martin in their first season as a works team. Orihara highlighted the importance of data analysis and preparation in achieving this result, which he described as a positive step forward amidst ongoing integration issues and performance shortfalls.

RacingNews365Sat 3 Oct

Comments

Sign in to join the conversation — comments are for registered members.

No one has weighed in yet. What do you make of it?