Verstappen takes pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang
1:35.130 on Saturday 3 October. Hamilton is 0.298s back. The race on Sunday is not in the book.
Why this match matters
This weekend is the Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang in Malaysia, 2 to 4 October 2026. It is not Austin, and it is not a finished Singapore Grand Prix. Singapore is 9 to 11 October. The race is Sunday 4 October at 15:00 local, 07:00 UTC. ESPN still listed the race as the next session, with no classification, when this desk was filed. No winner is printed.
What actually happened
Qualifying on Saturday 3 October: Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:35.130, his first pole of 2026 and the 49th of his career. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 1:35.428, 0.298 seconds back. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull, 1:35.558, then a five-place grid penalty for a seventh engine, which drops him to eighth. The race front row is Verstappen and Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli was fourth in 1:35.631 and starts third. Charles Leclerc was fifth in 1:35.666 and starts fourth. Reuters and The Race print the same order. Verstappen led Q1, Q2 and Q3.
What it changes
The championship entering this race, after Azerbaijan: Antonelli 302, Russell 236, Hamilton 199, Norris 186, Leclerc 179, Verstappen 163. Constructors: Mercedes 538, Ferrari 378, McLaren 306, Red Bull 263. The last completed race was Azerbaijan. George Russell won it. Sky Sports: Verstappen second, 0.196 seconds back, Hadjar third, 10.704 back. Antonelli lead is 66 points. The Sepang race is the next session, and it is not in the book.
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.