Verstappen win tightens paddock focus on Austin floor upgrades
Bahrain GP in Malaysia fallout. Antonelli holds 84-point lead over Russell. Red Bull readies COTA package.
Why this match matters
The Formula 1 paddock departs Sepang with the title picture reshaped ahead of the upcoming Americas triple-header. Max Verstappen’s commanding victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia earned Red Bull Ford Powertrains its maiden win of 2026. Meanwhile, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli extended his Drivers’ Championship advantage to 84 points after teammate George Russell suffered a late power-unit failure while running third. Attention now pivots directly to Austin and the United States Grand Prix sprint weekend at Circuit of the Americas.
What actually happened
Verstappen completed the 55-lap distance in 1:47:14.808, holding off Antonelli by 2.307 seconds, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finishing third (+4.919) and Charles Leclerc fourth (+7.258). Isack Hadjar rallied from eighth to fifth (+8.571) after serving a grid penalty, securing double points for Red Bull. Oscar Piastri took sixth, Liam Lawson was seventh, Fernando Alonso eighth, Lando Norris ninth, and Arvid Lindblad tenth. Russell retired late in the race, scoring zero points.
What it changes
Antonelli commands the Drivers’ Standings with 320 points to Russell’s 236, giving Mercedes a 1-2 buffer. Hamilton sits third on 214 points, Leclerc fourth on 191, and Verstappen ties Norris on 188 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes lead with 556 points to Ferrari’s 405, McLaren’s 316, and Red Bull’s 298. For Austin, Red Bull will introduce a comprehensive floor and sidepod upgrade package, while Liam Lawson faces a 10-place grid penalty for inherited power-unit components.
Sources
Every score and ranking on this page is locked to a named source. If it is not here, it is not on the page.