# Motorsport: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the 2026 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was moved to Malaysia due to geo-political tensions. The Dutchman shares the front row with Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes is third, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, McLaren’s Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri, Mercedes’ George Russell with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in eighth. Hadjar starts from eighth after a five-place grid penalty. The race is the 16th round of the 2026 championship.
Motorsport: Max Verstappen takes pole position at Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia