Lewis Hamilton pulled off one of his best drives of the season at the chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, fighting all the way back to a third-place finish after a brutal strategy call by Ferrari sent him tumbling from the front row down to 18th. While Max Verstappen ultimately clinched his first win of the 2026 season in the same wild race, it was Hamilton’s incredible recovery that had everyone talking.
Verstappen’s Dominance, Hamilton’s Grit
Verstappen, rated a 9.5/10 for the weekend, was pretty much flawless from qualifying, securing his first pole position of the season. He might’ve had a poor start, losing out to both Mercedes drivers, but he quickly recovered to absolutely control what was a hugely difficult race. The dude just put on a clinic. But Hamilton’s drive? That was pure heart. Dropped to 18th because Ferrari started him on slick tyres, he didn’t just give up. He scrapped, he clawed, and he passed Isack Hadjar after the final safety car to snag that podium spot. What a comeback! His teammate Charles Leclerc, also rated 8.5/10, mirrored Hamilton’s early tyre disaster but managed to recover impressively to fourth, salvaging a huge result for Ferrari from a strategy that initially looked totally busted.
Antonelli Extends His Lead, Russell’s Bad Break
Kimi Antonelli, rated 9/10, proved that Baku was just a blip for him. He had an excellent start, took the lead for a bit, and brought his Mercedes home in second place. That P2 finish was enough to extend his championship lead to a commanding 84 points over his own Mercedes teammate, George Russell. Talk about tough breaks though, Russell had to retire from the grand prix while he was running in third place due to a power unit failure. That’s gotta sting, especially when your teammate is pulling away in the standings. Elsewhere in the field, Isack Hadjar, rated 8.5/10, had a fantastic qualifying, third fastest, but an engine penalty dropped him to eighth on the grid. He had a great battle with Hamilton on track, even if he lost out to him, and then Leclerc snatched fourth from him right at the end. Tough one for him.
Standouts and Stumbles in the Midfield
Liam Lawson, with an 8.5/10 rating, had one of his strongest races of the year. He just barely missed Q3, but then pulled off a sensational start in the wet conditions, gaining seven positions and briefly running in fourth before securing a P7 finish for Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso, rated 8/10, showed that Aston Martin finally has some life in them, reaching Q2 on merit and converting 12th on the grid into an excellent eighth place. That’s comfortably their best result in a long time, and Alonso totally capitalized on it. On the other end of the spectrum, Lando Norris, rated a 5.5/10, had a frustrating weekend that ended with an avoidable mistake. After qualifying ahead of his teammate Piastri and being right behind him before the final restart, he lost control behind the safety car, ran through the gravel, and dropped to ninth. Ouch. Oscar Piastri, rated 7.5/10, on the other hand, made the smart call early to ditch the slick tyres and start from the pit lane on intermediates, recovering to sixth and comfortably beating Norris.
This wild Bahrain Grand Prix just cranked up the championship heat, with Antonelli extending his lead, and both Verstappen and Hamilton making massive statements. We’re in for a serious fight the rest of the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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