Verstappen ends drought with win, Russell retires with five laps to go
Max Verstappen's long wait for another Formula 1 race win is finally over, and the drivers' championship race might be over, too.
Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season during the Bahrain Grand Prix, as Kimi Antonelli widened his championship lead. Verstappen overtook Kimi Antonelli and teammate George Russell with just five laps remaining. The win marked a significant boost for Antonelli's title hopes, extending his advantage over Russell from 66 to 84 points with seven races left.
Mercedes informed Kimi Antonelli via radio that George Russell had likely suffered a power unit failure. Verstappen finished second, followed by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in third place. The race was delayed due to heavy rain and software issues, finally commencing over 90 minutes after the scheduled start time. Verstappen expressed gratitude to the team for a fantastic weekend.
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