For Verstappen, the victory also completed a remarkable circle. The Dutchman had already won the most recent Formula 1 race held at Sepang back in 2017. Nine years later, he triumphed again at the Malaysian circuit while also delivering the first Grand Prix victory for the new Red Bull-Ford partnership.
Rain and software issues cause lengthy delay
Chaos unfolded at Sepang before the race had even properly begun. Shortly before the originally scheduled 3:00pm local start, a heavy storm swept across the circuit. Large amounts of standing water made it impossible to begin safely, forcing race control to delay the start procedure.
Around 40 minutes later, the field was sent out behind the Safety Car on intermediates. Technical problems then emerged. Verstappen reported difficulties under acceleration, while Lewis Hamilton was at times circulating very slowly and briefly came to a stop. Several other cars were also affected. Hamilton told Ferrari over the radio that there was no power despite having the throttle fully depressed.
The start attempt was subsequently abandoned and the entire field returned to the pit lane. Because the race had not officially begun at that point, the original starting grid was later reinstated.
According to Mercedes, the teams also received updated software data from the FIA during the stoppage. The situation was particularly unusual because the new 2026 generation of cars had previously gained virtually no experience in such extreme wet conditions.
The race finally got under way at 4:33pm local time, more than an hour and a half after the scheduled start.
Mercedes catch Verstappen out at the start
By then, the circuit had dried considerably, turning tyre choice into a gamble. Verstappen and both Mercedes drivers started on intermediates, while Hamilton and Leclerc opted for soft tyres and the McLarens chose mediums.
The slicks were initially the weaker option. Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris lost significant ground, while Antonelli and George Russell both passed Verstappen at the standing start to give Mercedes a one-two.
Verstappen responded quickly. He first overtook Russell before beginning to put Antonelli under pressure. On lap ten, Valtteri Bottas went off into the gravel and triggered the first Safety Car period. That prompted the field to switch to dry-weather tyres.
Verstappen struck at the restart before lap 13. Through the opening sequence of corners, he got past Antonelli and reclaimed the lead. Russell also moved ahead of the championship leader, although he was required to let his team-mate back through a few laps later.
Verstappen pulls clear as Hamilton fights back
After the restart, Verstappen gradually opened a gap over his pursuers and took control of the race. His advantage over Antonelli grew to around ten seconds at one stage, while Russell began to lose touch with his Mercedes team-mate.
Hamilton, meanwhile, recovered from his unsuccessful tyre choice at the start and worked his way back through the field. The Ferrari driver passed Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson among others as he fought his way back towards the leading group.
Verstappen remained in control through the later pit-stop phases. Red Bull repeatedly opted for the soft tyre, which worked particularly well on the Dutchman’s car. Antonelli was able to stay within range but never got close enough to apply serious pressure to the four-time world champion.
Russell’s retirement adds late drama
The race became more eventful again from lap 43. Alexander Albon stopped his Williams with a gearbox problem, initially triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Verstappen took advantage of the situation to make a cheap pit stop, before the incident later developed into a full Safety Car period.
For George Russell, the race ended in particularly frustrating fashion. The Mercedes driver was forced to retire behind the Safety Car with a suspected power unit issue. After winning in Baku, he therefore missed out on important points in his championship battle with Antonelli.
Only a handful of laps remained when racing resumed. Verstappen nailed the restart and immediately pulled clear again. Behind him, Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar to move into third, while Charles Leclerc also found a way past the Red Bull driver shortly afterwards.
Verstappen held on comfortably to win by 2.3 seconds over Antonelli. Hamilton completed the podium, 4.9 seconds behind the winner, with Leclerc, Hadjar and Piastri following behind. Lawson finished seventh ahead of Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris and Lindblad.
Antonelli extended his championship lead with second place. The Mercedes driver now has 320 points, while Russell remains on 236 following his retirement. Hamilton is next on 214, with Verstappen now level with Norris on 188 points after claiming his first victory of the season.
