The Red Bull driver clocked 1:35.130 to beat Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds, with Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar qualifying third fastest.
Verstappen returns to pole
Verstappen topped all three qualifying sessions as Red Bull produced its strongest Saturday performance of the season.
The four-time world champion had not secured pole earlier in 2026, but delivered when it mattered at Sepang, a circuit where he won the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.
“It’s fantastic,” Verstappen said after qualifying. “We’ve been trying for many Grands Prix to get more, sometimes a bit closer to the others. But to finally get it from where we started the season, pretty incredible.”
Hamilton takes front-row spot
Hamilton produced a late improvement in Q3 to take second place and join Verstappen on the front row.
The Ferrari driver had struggled with tyre degradation during practice in the intense Malaysian heat but found a better balance for qualifying.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth fastest for Mercedes but will move up to third on the starting grid because Hadjar has a five-place grid penalty.
Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri placed sixth and seventh respectively. George Russell was eighth fastest and will move up one position because of Hadjar’s penalty.
Verstappen targets first win of the season
The pole position gives Verstappen an opportunity to fight for his first Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season.
It is also the first pole this year for a car powered by a non-Mercedes engine, after Mercedes-powered cars had topped every qualifying session earlier in the campaign.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is being held at Sepang this year after the original Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races were cancelled earlier in the season. Despite being staged in Malaysia, the event retains the Bahrain Grand Prix branding.
Qualifying results
• Max Verstappen: Red Bull – 1:35.130
• Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari – 1:35.428
• Isack Hadjar: Red Bull – 1:35.558; five-place grid penalty
• Kimi Antonelli: Mercedes – 1:35.631
• Charles Leclerc: Ferrari – 1:35.666
• Lando Norris: McLaren – sixth
• Oscar Piastri: McLaren – seventh
• George Russell: Mercedes – eighth
Race details
• Race: Bahrain Grand Prix
• Circuit: Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
• Qualifying date: 3 October 2026
• Pole position: Max Verstappen
• Race: Sunday, 4 October 2026