Verstappen wins chaotic Bahrain GP, Antonelli extends championship lead

Daijiworld Media Network - Selangor

Selangor (Malaysia), Oct 4: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won a chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit here on Sunday, securing his maiden victory of the season.

Verstappen, who started from pole position, finished 2.307 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton produced a strong recovery for Ferrari to finish third after dropping several positions at the start.

George Russell’s championship challenge suffered a major setback after he was forced to retire his Mercedes late in the race due to a power unit issue. Russell was running third behind teammate Antonelli and race leader Verstappen before parking his W17 on the main straight while the safety car was still deployed following Alex Albon’s retirement.

The retirement proved costly for Russell’s title hopes, with his deficit to Antonelli increasing from 66 to 84 points. Antonelli now has 320 points, while Russell remains on 236. Hamilton’s third-place finish earned him 15 points, taking his tally to 214.

The race was chaotic from the outset after heavy weather delayed the start. The drivers initially switched from intermediate tyres to slicks, while the start itself was delayed by one hour and 33 minutes. Valtteri Bottas and Albon subsequently retired as the safety cars were deployed.

Verstappen initially dropped from pole to third at the first standing start after Antonelli and Russell overtook him, with Hamilton also losing ground. The Dutchman, however, recovered strongly to regain the lead and eventually secure his first win of the season.

The victory was Verstappen’s 72nd for Red Bull, putting him level with Michael Schumacher’s record of 72 wins for Ferrari. Hamilton holds the record for most wins with a single team, having claimed 84 victories with Mercedes.

Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fell towards the back of the field after the standing start, but strategic pit stops and a strong recovery helped them finish third and fourth respectively. Hamilton secured third after a late overtake on Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar.

Oscar Piastri finished fifth for McLaren, while Liam Lawson took seventh for Racing Bulls.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso held off McLaren’s Lando Norris to finish eighth, while Arvid Lindblad of the other Racing Bulls secured 10th place.