Lindblad gains 13 places as Leclerc loses 18 on Sepang’s first racing lap
Arvid Lindblad gained 13 places on Sepang’s first racing lap, rising from 22nd to ninth, while Charles Leclerc lost 18 and fell from fourth to 22nd.
Conceptual AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph or evidence that a pictured event, meeting or transfer occurred. · 2026-10-04GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration
Arvid Lindblad made the biggest gain on the first racing lap of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang, climbing from 22nd on the grid to ninth (+13). Charles Leclerc had the largest drop, falling from fourth to 22nd (-18).
Rain and thunderstorms delayed the start, and the first start procedure was suspended after several drivers struggled to maintain speed on the formation lap. The race eventually began in slippery, mixed conditions, with drivers on different tyre compounds.
Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon each gained 10 places. Liam Lawson and Carlos Sainz gained seven apiece, Sergio Perez six and George Russell five. Lewis Hamilton fell 15 places, from second to 17th; Lando Norris dropped from fifth to 15th (-10), and Pierre Gasly from ninth to 18th (-9).
Replays showed Leclerc’s front wing was damaged in an incident involving Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi at the start. A front-wing change lengthened Leclerc’s pit stop. Hamilton finished third and Leclerc fourth.
Sources 02
- PRIMARY SOURCEWho gained and lost the most places at the start in Sepang?Formula 1
- PRIMARY SOURCEVerstappen wins Bahrain GP in Malaysia as Russell retiresFormula 1
Claims and supporting evidence 6
The comparison lists starting position, position after one lap and places gained or lost.
The race coverage describes the weather delay, suspended start procedure, mixed conditions and split tyre strategies.
These gains are listed in the first-lap comparison.
The comparison lists their starting and after-one-lap positions and place changes.
The race account describes the damage and says a change lengthened the stop.
The race report records their recovery to P3 and P4, respectively.
Corrections and updates to this story
Lindblad gains 13 places as Leclerc loses 18 on Sepang’s first racing lap
Updated to add more drivers’ first-lap position changes; the original Lindblad and Leclerc figures are unchanged. / Bijgewerkt met positiewijzigingen van meer coureurs tijdens de eerste raceronde; de oorspronkelijke cijfers voor Lindblad en Leclerc zijn ongewijzigd.
Lindblad gains 13 places as Leclerc loses 18 on Sepang’s first racing lap
Manual editorial correction: clarified wording and attribution and removed repeated or source-process prose where present. The underlying reporting and sources are unchanged. / Handmatige redactionele correctie: formuleringen en bronvermelding verduidelijkt; herhaling en controletaal verwijderd waar aanwezig. De verslaggeving en bronnen zijn behouden.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.