Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the 2026 season at Sepang, setting the grid for today's Bahrain Grand Prix. The Dutchman dominated the qualifying hour, and Red Bull celebrated their first pole with their own in-house built engines under the new regulations.
Verstappen hails Red Bull progress
Verstappen said the result was "an incredible result" and credited recent upgrades for the improvement. "The last few races we have probably understood the car a little bit better. Also, the upgrades have pushed some of the weaknesses out of the car. There are, of course, always things that you still would like. But we have been adding bits to the car and they have worked – it's as simple as that," he explained.
The pole is Red Bull's first with their own engines, built in partnership with Ford. Ford secured their first pole in Formula One since 1999, when Rubens Barrichello took pole at Magny-Cours for Stewart Grand Prix, the team that became Red Bull six years later.
Norris warns of misleading picture
Despite the milestone, Lando Norris warned that the hastily-arranged race at Sepang is no indication of F1's true balance of power. "This tarmac is very different to a lot of other tracks we've been to this year, and therefore we're seeing Mercedes struggle a lot more. And Red Bull are quicker than they usually are, so the order has been shaken up a little bit," he said.
F1 did not plan to race in Malaysia this year and only agreed after the Malaysians offered to host Bahrain's lost event from April. The track surface, last used by F1 in 2017, is older and destroys tyres far quicker than most other circuits on the calendar.
Verstappen targets first win since 2015
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, has had to settle for seven podiums so far this year. He said: "To get the first pole with out own engine is something special. But, as a team, we want to win. We're here to win, we're not just here to grab podiums."
The last time Verstappen failed to take at least one win in a season was in 2015, his debut year with Toro Rosso. Today presents his best chance yet to end that drought. Mercedes, who struggled in practice and qualifying, hope the unique track surface explains why their upgrades have not propelled them clear of rivals. McLaren were also well off the pace.
Ferrari looked stronger, and Lewis Hamilton, while reluctant to make bold predictions, was pleased with "probably my best lap of the year". He added: "It's like balancing a knife on its head, which is pretty much impossible. Finding that balance... there are so many elements that have to come together. But that was one of my most enjoyable laps of the year."
