Max Verstappen has finally ended his 2026 pole drought, putting himself in the perfect position to chase his first victory of the season at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia.
The Red Bull driver topped every qualifying session at Sepang and beat Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds to claim pole with a 1:35.130. It is Verstappen’s first pole since the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen has yet to win a race in 2026, despite scoring seven podiums. His last F1 victory came at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, making Sunday a major opportunity to finally get his season off the mark.
But Hamilton starts alongside him on the front row, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli moves up to third after Isack Hadjar’s grid penalty.
Can Verstappen finally turn pole into his first win of 2026?
