Max Verstappen topped every qualifying segment at Sepang to secure his first pole of 2026, leading Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar in Malaysia.
Formula 1’s return to Sepang produced a qualifying session built around one clear theme: Max Verstappen was the driver to beat from the opening segment. The Red Bull driver topped Q1, Q2 and Q3 to claim his first pole position of the 2026 season, putting himself at the front for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Verstappen controls all three qualifying segments
Verstappen set the pace through every stage of qualifying and finished Q3 with a best lap of 1 minute 35.130 seconds. Formula 1’s official report recorded a margin of 0.298 seconds over Lewis Hamilton, giving Red Bull a decisive benchmark after a weekend in which several teams had looked competitive in practice.
That consistency mattered as much as the final lap itself. Sepang had not hosted Formula 1 qualifying since 2017, so teams arrived with limited recent competitive data, yet Verstappen appeared comfortable from the outset and kept improving as the track evolved.
Hamilton puts Ferrari on the front row
Hamilton produced his strongest lap of the weekend at the end of Q3 to place Ferrari second on the grid. His 1 minute 35.428 second lap was enough to split the two Red Bulls and deny Isack Hadjar a front-row start on outright qualifying position.
Ferrari had shown pace earlier in the weekend, with Charles Leclerc leading Friday’s second practice session. Hamilton’s front-row result converted that speed into a stronger qualifying outcome and gives Ferrari a direct opportunity to challenge Verstappen at the start.
Hadjar impresses despite a grid penalty
Hadjar qualified third for Red Bull with a 1 minute 35.558 second lap, matching one of his strongest qualifying performances of the season. His position on the timesheet, however, will not translate directly to the starting grid because he carries a five-place penalty for a power-unit change.
That penalty reshuffles the order behind Verstappen and Hamilton and elevates several rivals when the final grid is formed. It also leaves Red Bull with mixed circumstances: clear qualifying speed across both cars, but only one driver able to fully capitalise on the team’s pace from his earned starting position.
Sepang sets up a demanding race
The 5.543-kilometre Sepang International Circuit combines long straights, heavy braking zones and fast direction changes, while high temperatures increase tyre and driver demands. Those characteristics mean pole position is valuable without being decisive, particularly if degradation creates multiple strategic options during the race.
Verstappen therefore starts with the strongest possible platform but not a guaranteed result. Hamilton has track position alongside him, the field behind remains tightly grouped, and Sepang’s first Formula 1 race since 2017 now carries the additional intrigue of a front row featuring two multiple world champions.
Official sources: www.formula1.com.
Source
Formula 1