Max Verstappen Gives Red Bull F1 Its First Pole of 2026

Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the 2026 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, held at Malaysia's Sepang Circuit after a nine-year absence, setting a time of 1:35.130s to finish 0.298 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. It marked the first pole position in history for Red Bull Powertrains and the first for a Ford-affiliated engine since 1999, as well as the first time this season a non-Mercedes power unit topped qualifying. Isack Hadjar qualified third for Red Bull but will drop to eighth on the grid due to an engine penalty.