Verstappen secures his first pole of the year, Hamilton qualifies on the front row for the fifth Sepang race in a row and both Aston Martins reach Q2 for the first time this season. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia!
VERSTAPPEN ON POLE AT THE 2026 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA
Max Verstappen, the driver who won on F1’s last visit to Sepang in 2017, secured pole position for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. This was Verstappen’s 49th pole position. Last time he raced here, he was yet to secure his first pole.
Verstappen secured his first pole position of the year – his first since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He became the fifth driver – After Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – to record pole positions in as many as eight consecutive seasons.
Verstappen maintained his 100% Q3 record in Malaysia, having qualified in the top ten on all four of his appearances here. He was the only current driver with a 100% Q3 appearance rate in Sepang prior to this weekend.
This was Verstappen’s first front row qualification at Sepang International Circuit.
Verstappen secured Red Bull’s fourth pole position in Malaysia – their first since 2013.
This was the first non-Mercedes-powered pole position of the season.
IN THE TOP TEN
Lewis Hamilton maintained his Q3 streak in Malaysia, having reached Q3 at all eight race weekends at Sepang International Circuit since 2011.
Qualifying on the first row, this was the fifth successive race in Sepang at which Hamilton qualified on the front row – but the first for which he did not take pole position since 2013.
This was Hamilton’s first front row qualification since the Hungarian Grand Prix and his third of the season in total. It’s the fourth time in the last six Malaysia races that a Ferrari driver has qualified on the front row.
This is the first time since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix that Verstappen and Hamilton share the front row of the grid.
Although he will take a grid penalty, Isack Hadjar qualified third for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix. With Verstappen taking pole, this was the first time since 2011 that both Red Bull drivers qualified in the top three in Malaysia.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, while George Russell qualified eighth. This was the first time since 2013 that Mercedes did not secure pole position in Sepang.
This was only the second race of the year, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, at which neither Mercedes driver qualified on the front row.
With Hamilton qualifying second and Charles Leclerc fifth, this was the first time since 2013 that both Ferrari drivers qualified in the top five at Sepang International Circuit.
Gabriel Bortoleto reached Q3 for the fifth time this season, recording Audi’s first Q3 appearance since the Dutch Grand Prix. It was the former Sauber team’s first Q3 appearance in Malaysia since 2015.
Pierre Gasly reached Q3 for the third time in the last four races.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
For the first time this season, neither Aston Martin driver was eliminated in Q1 at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso qualified 12th, while Lance Stroll qualified 14th.
This was Stroll’s first Q2 appearance of the season – his first since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and Alonso’s second Q2 appearance of the year, after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz exited in Q2 at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. He has been eliminated in Q2 on all four of his appearances at Sepang International Circuit to date. Qualifying 13th, this was Sainz’s best qualifying result at the circuit to date.
After a run of ten races with at least one Q3 appearance, both Racing Bulls drivers were eliminated in Q2 for the second race weekend in a row.
This was the 12th consecutive race weekend in Malaysia at which the Red Bull junior team has recorded at least one Q2 exit. 2006, when both cars were out in Q1 on their first appearance at the track, was the last time that they did not do so.
Franco Colapinto exited in Q2 and qualified 15th for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, failing to reach Q3 for the first time in three races.
OUT IN Q1
Nico Hulkenberg was eliminated in Q1 for the second consecutive race weekend. He had not been eliminated in Q1 at any race in 2026 prior to last time out in Azerbaijan.
This was Audi’s fourth Q1 exit in total, in addition to their double Q1 elimination in Baku and Gabriel Bortoleto’s Q1 exit in Miami.
It was Hulkenberg’s first Q1 exit in his eight appearances at Sepang International Circuit. It’s the first time he’s qualified outside of the top 16 here.
Cadillac have now recorded 32 Q1 exits in 2026, with both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas exiting in Q1 at every round to date this season. The team has now recorded more Q1 exits this year than Ferrari has in total since the current qualifying system was introduced in 2006. Ferrari have recorded 31 Q1 exits to date.
Bottas recorded his first Q1 exit in Malaysia since 2013, while Perez recorded his first-ever Q1 exit in Malaysia.
This was the first time in his six appearances at Sepang International Circuit that Bottas out-qualified his team-mate.
With both Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon out in Q1, Haas recorded their first double Q1 exit since the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. It was their second double Q1 elimination of the year. This was Ocon’s first Q1 exit since the Belgian Grand Prix and Bearman’s fourth Q1 exit in the last six races.
It was Ocon’s second Q1 exit in Malaysia, having also recorded a Q1 exit here in 2016.
This was Haas’ second consecutive double Q1 exit in Malaysia, having also seen both cars out in the first stage of qualifying at the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.
Alex Albon qualified 20th for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, recording Williams’ first Q1 exit in Malaysia since 2013.