5 winners and 5 losers from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Max Verstappen returned to winning ways with a beautiful drive at a rain-hit Sepang, in a race that featured plenty of overtaking. But while he and his Red Bull team celebrated, many of his rivals were left downbeat. Lawrence Barretto selects his winners and losers from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Winner: Max Verstappen

Verstappen kicked off the event on the front foot with some impressive pace in Friday practice. He carried that into the weekend, taking his 49th pole position and first of the season. It was the first time a non-Mercedes powered car started in P1 in 2026.