With the confusingly named Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia now behind us, it's time to unpack Sepang’s memorable one-off return to the Formula 1 calendar. Here are Living Sports’ winners and losers from Malaysia… or was it Bahrain?
Having been a regular fixture on the podium since the summer, it was arguably a question of when, not if, Verstappen would return to the top step. Having set himself the target of winning at least one race before the end of the season, Verstappen dominated qualifying and ended his 2026 pole drought. A poor start in the race was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect weekend. Verstappen’s race craft was on full display as he worked his way through the Mercedes and the apparent ease with which he streaked into the distance was reminiscent of his most dominant displays in the ground effect era. It's far too late for any kind of title charge, but should his form continue, Verstappen could be in with a shout of third place in the standings.
Here lies more proof that George Russell’s 2026 campaign has not been as bad as his results suggest. A cruel power unit failure denied Russell a podium just ten laps from the end, but as unfortunate as that was, Russell again couldn't contend with his teammate. He qualified three places behind him and, despite a spirited challenge in the race, generally couldn't dent Antonelli’s defence. With the championship deficit now at 84 points, Russell’s flickering title aspirations are now effectively gone. A solid run to the end of the season is the best he can hope for, and having won last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, Russell will be keen to regain some much-needed momentum this weekend.
One of the more impressive aspects of Antonelli’s season has been his ability to make the most of sub-optimal weekends. It was clear from Friday practice that Mercedes’ seven-part upgrade had not paid dividends and that victory was a long shot at best. Antonelli did the most with what he had by lining up fourth on the grid, wisely avoiding costly wheel-to-wheel exchanges, and doing what was needed to maintain second place. Ferrari’s mistakes and Russell’s DNF made the job a lot easier. With a commanding championship lead, a solid string of results will be enough to make Antonelli the youngest-ever world champion.
Don’t let that solid 27-point haul fool you; Ferrari left a great deal on the table in Malaysia. Hamilton and Leclerc both completed solid comebacks that would have been entirely unnecessary had they not started the race on slicks. Granted, the lack of rainfall and rapidly drying track meant an even split of intermediate and slick-shod cars across the grid. Still, Ferrari's choice not to hedge its bets by running at least one car on intermediates is baffling. Hamilton’s afternoon was nearly over before it began due to a power unit scare, but once the lights went out and the track began to dry, the race eventually came Ferrari’s way. Third and fourth was a commendable recovery but having thrown away a shot at the win, the Scuderia will have likely left Sepang wondering what might have been.
After a costly weekend in Baku, when both drivers came together in the race, a productive, harmonious display was just the tonic RB needed. Despite not being able to set a competitive lap in Q2, Arvid Lindblad gave his teammate, Liam Lawson, a very helpful tow. Lawson qualified 11th and was therefore well placed to push for points on race day. After starting both cars on intermediates, RB was one of the biggest beneficiaries at the start. Lindblad rocketed from 22nd to ninth by lap three, while Lawson got a rapid launch and briefly hustled Verstappen for third. Lindblad stayed out of trouble and eventually secured his 11th points finish of the season in 10th, while Lawson had the temerity to challenge Oscar Piastri in the closing stages. He may have ultimately lost out, but seventh place has done him and his team a great service in both championships.
Perhaps harsh, given that any comparison to Max Verstappen is going to be unfavourable, but Hadjar’s late-race slump was difficult to watch. Starting eighth after receiving a five-place grid penalty, Hadjar stayed out of trouble during the opening exchanges and spent much of the race in fourth. Russell’s late retirement elevated him to third, but with the track dry, there was nothing Hadjar could do to fend off the resurgent Ferraris. Overall, this was still a commendable return of action for Hadjar, but Red Bull’s wait for a first double podium since China 2024 goes on.
Aston Martin’s shambolic 2026 campaign is best summarised by the jubilation felt at an eighth-and twelfth-place finish. Even so, this was among the team’s most promising displays so far. Both cars made it into Q2 for the first time this season and, despite starting on the mediums, Fernando Alonso minimised the damage and avoided an incident. The AMR-26 retained its pace in the dry, which enabled Alonso to fend off Lando Norris and secure his best result of the season in eighth. His teammate Lance Stroll capped off a solid day for the team in 12th, an overdue step in the right direction given Aston Martin’s torrid 2026.
Williams failed to capitalise on the conditions. Both drivers started on the mediums and rocketed into the points early on. The decision to double stack proved costly. Having already lost a few places, Alex Albon fell out of contention before retiring with a gearbox failure on lap 41. Sainz remained in the hunt for points before being spun around by Gabriel Bortoleto on lap 13. Having nailed the tyre choice off the start, Williams missed a vital opportunity to close on Audi’s eighth place in the constructors’ standings.
