After more than an hour of delays, changing conditions, multiple Safety Cars and plenty of strategy drama, Max Verstappen came out on top at Sepang to win the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Verstappen followed up his first pole position of the 2026 season with a victory, finishing ahead of Kimi Antonelli in second and Lewis Hamilton in third.
It was a race that seemed like it might never get started — but once it finally did, it gave us plenty to talk about.
A Long Wait Before the Race
Heavy rain before the start left the Sepang International Circuit soaked and forced the race to be delayed.
The conditions were so poor that even the medical car was struggling for grip while assessing the circuit.
After roughly 40 minutes, it appeared we were finally ready to get underway, but Isack Hadjar went off during the formation lap before the race had even properly started.
The start was subsequently suspended again as everyone waited for conditions to improve.
By the time we finally got racing, the track had already begun changing significantly.
Chaos From the Start
The opening phase immediately produced drama.
Verstappen and Hamilton both encountered issues after starting from the front row, while Ferrari made the massive gamble of starting on slick tires.
That decision proved costly.
Both Ferrari drivers tumbled down the order as they struggled for grip, seemingly destroying what had looked like an excellent opportunity after Hamilton qualified second.
Meanwhile, George Russell made an incredible start.
Russell had started seventh but quickly charged through the field and climbed all the way to second place.
Liam Lawson was another huge early mover, gaining seven positions in the difficult conditions.
Kimi Leads as Max Begins His Charge
Kimi Antonelli emerged at the front of the race, but Verstappen was coming.
Max worked his way into second by passing Russell and immediately began hunting down Antonelli for the lead.
The complexion of the race changed again when Valtteri Bottas went off, initially bringing out yellow flags before the Safety Car was deployed.
The timing gave the frontrunners an excellent opportunity to pit.
Red Bull and Mercedes then went in completely different directions.
Verstappen went onto the soft tires, while both Mercedes drivers chose the mediums.
It set up an intriguing strategic battle: Max had the faster tire immediately, while Mercedes appeared to be positioning itself for a longer stint.
Verstappen Takes Control
Once the Safety Car came in, Verstappen wasted little time.
Max passed Antonelli to take the lead, while Russell also got past Kimi to move into second.
Verstappen then began putting the soft tires to full use.
He set three consecutive fastest laps and rapidly opened a gap over the Mercedes drivers. What initially looked like an aggressive strategy that could leave Max vulnerable later instead allowed him to take complete control of the race.
At one stage, Verstappen’s advantage had grown to around 10 seconds.
Behind him, the two Mercedes drivers began fighting each other.
Antonelli questioned the team about orders before eventually getting past Russell and reclaiming second place.
Kimi did have one nervous moment when he went wide and struck a bollard, but the car appeared to escape without significant damage.
Gabriel Bortoleto was also handed a 10-second penalty during the race.
Ferrari Fight Back
Ferrari’s decision to begin the race on slicks had put both drivers in a terrible position, but Hamilton and Charles Leclerc produced excellent recovery drives.
Hamilton steadily climbed back through the field, first returning to the points before reaching seventh, fifth and eventually putting himself in contention near the front.
Leclerc followed him through the field, climbing back into the points and eventually reaching the top six.
Oscar Piastri was producing an impressive recovery of his own, making his way up to sixth after starting from the back of the grid.
Ferrari had made life incredibly difficult for itself, but its drivers refused to let the race disappear.
More Late-Race Drama
Hamilton and Hadjar eventually made their stops, while Russell later pitted for a fresh set of soft tires.
Verstappen and Antonelli also stopped as the strategy battle continued.
Then Alex Albon stopped on track, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car.
Verstappen took advantage and pitted, temporarily promoting Antonelli into the lead. Kimi then made his own stop before the incident was upgraded to a full Safety Car.
That set the stage for another late restart.
Unfortunately for Mercedes, Russell’s excellent race ended in heartbreak when he was forced to retire.
After starting seventh, climbing as high as second and spending much of the Grand Prix fighting at the front, Russell walked away with nothing.
Lando Norris also had a dramatic late moment when he went flying into the gravel, although he managed to keep the car running.
Hamilton Completes an Incredible Recovery
Ferrari’s comeback wasn’t finished.
With three laps remaining, Hamilton passed Hadjar to take third place.
Leclerc then climbed to fourth.
Considering where Ferrari had been after its disastrous decision to begin the race on slicks, having both cars fight their way back toward the front was a remarkable recovery.
Hamilton went from looking completely out of contention to standing on the podium.
Verstappen Wins at Sepang
At the front, nobody could stop Verstappen.
After taking his first pole of the season on Saturday, Max completed the weekend with victory at Sepang.
Antonelli finished second for Mercedes after another impressive performance, while Hamilton completed his tremendous comeback to take third for Ferrari.
Podium
- Max Verstappen
- Kimi Antonelli
- Lewis Hamilton
This was one of the strangest races of the season.
We waited more than an hour to properly get underway, saw teams gamble with wildly different tire strategies, watched Ferrari fall down the field and recover, saw both Mercedes drivers fight at the front, and had multiple interruptions before Verstappen eventually emerged victorious.
For Max, it was a masterful performance. He attacked when he needed to, made the soft tires work when Red Bull chose the aggressive strategy and built a commanding advantage once he reached the front.
For Kimi, another second-place finish continues what has been an outstanding season.
For Hamilton, the podium may have been the most impressive recovery of the afternoon after Ferrari’s opening strategy left him with an enormous amount of work to do.
And for Russell, an excellent drive ended in the cruelest possible way.
After all the delays, Sepang eventually delivered.
And Max Verstappen was the man standing on top when the chaos finally ended.
Like what you read? Subscribe to Ethical Sports Takes for more Formula 1 coverage, race recaps, predictions and analysis.
Leave a Reply