Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after long start delay; Russell retires

Max Verstappen won Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia. It was his first win of the season, and Red Bull's. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes finished second. His team-mate and title rival George Russell retired from third place with five laps to go because of a power unit problem.

Antonelli now leads Russell by 84 points in the drivers' championship.

Lewis Hamilton finished third for Ferrari. He started on slick tyres on a wet track, dropped as low as 17th and passed Red Bull's Isack Hadjar late in the race. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, also ahead of Hadjar.

The start was delayed for a long period, first by heavy rain and then by technical problems during formation laps. Several cars, including those of Verstappen and Hamilton, were slowed or unable to accelerate, in what was described as a software issue. The field ended up out of order. The race eventually started in the original grid order.

Verstappen lost ground at the start, and Antonelli and Russell took first and second. Verstappen repassed Russell in the early laps. He then took the lead from Antonelli at a safety-car restart, where Russell also passed Antonelli. Antonelli passed Russell on lap 21. A safety car was deployed again late in the race.

According to ESPN, Verstappen started from pole position and finished over two-tenths of a second ahead of Antonelli. ESPN also reported that the venue hosted the race because it was cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East. According to the Guardian, the race was held at Sepang, which last hosted a grand prix in 2017.

According to the BBC, the late safety car was caused by Alex Albon's stopped Williams, and Russell pulled off while it was still out. The BBC also reported that the rules did not cover the formation-lap situation.

What is disputed

• Cause of the formation-lap problem. The BBC reported initial indications that it was caused by a software update the FIA issued to teams during the delay. The Guardian reported that it appears cars were off throttle too long in the wet and could not re-accelerate, and that the FIA uploaded new software parameters afterwards.
• Length of the delay. The BBC and ESPN put it at about 90 minutes. The Guardian described a 45-minute delay followed by a further 53 minutes.
• Races remaining. The BBC said six or seven; the Guardian said seven.

What each side says

ESPN quoted Verstappen as saying after qualifying: "I am happy with today and for sure I am going to try to win tomorrow. When you start first, that is the target."

ESPN quoted Russell as saying after qualifying: "The tyre degradation is huge and, race pace will be king, so even though today was a real disappointment, it is not the be all and end all."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include an FIA statement. The BBC said the governing body had yet to respond to requests for comment on the software issue. The reports also do not include post-race comments from the drivers or teams.

Analysis

The result widens Antonelli's championship lead over Russell to 84 points with six or seven races remaining, which reduces but does not remove Russell's room to recover. Verstappen's win may indicate improved Red Bull form, though one race in mixed conditions is limited evidence. The formation-lap problems raise questions about how this season's cars and their software behave in the wet, and about how the rules handle a disordered grid. Without an FIA explanation, the cause remains uncertain. Possible outcomes range from a technical clarification to rule changes, or no further action.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.