F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Verstappen takes Sepang pole ahead of Hamilton

Max Verstappen qualified ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Sepang, putting the pair in that order at the front of qualifying for the first time since Abu Dhabi in 2021.

GPBeat · Newsroom06 Oct 2026, 01:21 · 3 min

RacingNews365’s session classification puts Verstappen on top with a 1:37.520 lap on soft tyres. Mercedes driver George Russell was second, 0.383 seconds behind, while Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar was third, 0.783 seconds off the pace. All three set their listed best laps on soft tyres.

The order changed during the session. Russell initially got within 0.05 seconds of Verstappen while using medium tyres against the Red Bull driver’s softs. Verstappen then improved on a fresh set of soft tyres after other teams switched to the compound, RacingNews365 reported.

Drivers also complained about a lack of grip during the session. Charles Leclerc described wear on the medium tyres as “insane”, according to RacingNews365.

Update

Max Verstappen topped the first free-practice session at Sepang with a lap of 1min 37.520sec. Mercedes driver George Russell was second in 1min 37.903sec, 0.383sec behind the Red Bull driver.

Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar was third, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. That put two Red Bulls in the top three of the opening session.

RacingNews365 says Sepang is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix in place of Sakhir, with Formula 1 returning to the Malaysian circuit after nine years away.

Update

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in first practice at Sepang, with Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar third behind George Russell. But team principal Laurent Mekies cautioned against reading too much into the result, in remarks to Sky Sports F1 reported by RacingNews365.

Mekies said both Red Bull drivers quickly found a rhythm in difficult conditions. He called the session a good starting point, while expecting other teams to improve as they learnt how to handle the heat. In his view, high temperatures, heavy tyre demands and the rough track surface had pushed teams away from their preferred operating range.

Mekies said teams were still trying to get their cars back into that range, and that their place in the competitive order would become clearer soon.

Update

Max Verstappen took his first pole position of 2026 at Sepang on Saturday, qualifying nearly 0.3 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who will join him on the front row. The result follows Red Bull’s strong showing in practice and gives the team a promising starting position for the race.

BBC Sport reports that Red Bull’s latest upgrade is centred on a new floor and assesses that it has worked well at Sepang. Verstappen said parts added to the car had improved its lap time and balance.

Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar qualified third but will start eighth after a penalty for exceeding his permitted allocation of engine parts. Kimi Antonelli moves up to third on the grid. Mercedes’ latest update has yet to deliver the improvement it expected, though it remains unclear whether the parts or Sepang’s heat and rough surface are responsible.

Update

Verstappen took his first pole position of the season at Sepang, with Hamilton second in qualifying, RacingNews365 reports. The publication also identifies it as the first pole for Red Bull-Ford Powertrains.

The distinction is the order, not the pairing: Hamilton qualified ahead of Verstappen at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix by 0.003 seconds. RacingNews365 counts Sepang as their 15th shared front row in qualifying.

Sources 05

SOURCEVerstappen doet wenkbrauwen fronsen met statement in eerste vrije trainingRacingNews365 · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
SOURCE2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - Sepang Free Practice 1 resultsRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
SOURCEMekies tempert enthousiasme na snelle start Verstappen in MaleisiëRacingNews365 · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
PRIMARY SOURCEBahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Red Bull upgrade enlivens F1BBC Sport · Source date as found: 2026-10-03
SOURCEMax Verstappen-Lewis Hamilton match F1 feat last seen in Abu Dhabi 2021RacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-03

Source context

RacingNews365’s classification records first-practice laps, not qualifying positions or a race result.

RacingNews365 relayed Mekies’s comments to Sky Sports F1 after the opening practice session at Sepang.

BBC Sport’s account covers qualifying and pre-race comments at Sepang; the race was still to come.

Source: RacingNews365’s 3 October 2026 report on Sepang qualifying and its comparison with earlier qualifying results.

Claims and supporting evidence 22

RacingNews365's timing table places Max Verstappen first in the session with a 1:37.520 lap, George Russell second with 1:37.903 and Isack Hadjar third with 1:38.303. It lists all three laps on soft tyres.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. The first-practice classification reported by RacingNews365. First practice reported on October 2, 2026. These are reported practice times, not a qualifying or race result. No official timing sheet or independent report was supplied.

[1]

The listed times put Russell 0.383 seconds behind Verstappen and Hadjar 0.783 seconds behind him. The latter is more precise than the article's description of a gap of seven tenths.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Arithmetic comparisons of the three reported lap times. The reported first-practice classification. The gaps are calculated from RacingNews365's table; they are not independently verified timing data.

[1]

RacingNews365 reports that Verstappen went fastest early on soft tyres while Russell came within five hundredths on mediums. It says Verstappen later improved on a fresh set of soft tyres after other teams switched to softs. The report also relays complaints about grip and attributes the description of tyre wear as ‘insane’ to Charles Leclerc.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. RacingNews365's account of changing tyre comparisons during the session. During the reported first practice session. The early comparison involved different tyre compounds. The supplied document does not contain a direct interview or full radio transcript.

[1]

The article describes first practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang in Malaysia.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. The event and venue labels within the retrieved article. The event reported on October 2, 2026. This claim records the event name and venue used by RacingNews365.

[1]

RacingNews365 characterises McLaren as unable to rise above the midfield early in the weekend.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. RacingNews365's assessment of McLaren's early pace. Early in the reported race weekend. This is the outlet's assessment. The article's displayed three-driver table provides no McLaren position or lap time to quantify it.

[1]

RacingNews365's classification places Max Verstappen first for Red Bull with a lap of 1:37.520 and George Russell second for Mercedes with 1:37.903, a difference of 0.383 seconds.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. FP1 classification First free practice, 2026-10-02 These are practice lap times reported by one outlet, not race results; the calculated difference follows from its listed times.

[2]

The same classification places Red Bull's Isack Hadjar third in 1:38.303, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fourth and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in fifth.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. FP1 classification First free practice, 2026-10-02 Positions describe this session only; no qualifying or race outcome follows from them.

[2]

RacingNews365 describes the session as taking place at Sepang in Malaysia for a race designated the Bahrain Grand Prix, and says Sepang is hosting on behalf of Sakhir after nine years away from the F1 calendar.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Event location and designation 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, as described in the 2026-10-02 report The unusual race designation and hosting explanation are not independently confirmed by another retrieved publication or an official document.

[2]

Only RacingNews365's article was retrieved, so there are no independently read publications whose emphases or accounts can be compared.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Source comparison Supplied material for the 2026-10-02 FP1 result This limits cross-source comparison, but the article itself supplies a complete session classification.

[2]

RacingNews365 reports that Max Verstappen set the fastest time, 1:37.520, with George Russell second and Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar third. The article calls the event the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia; that designation is not independently established by the supplied material.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. First free practice at Sepang, as reported by RacingNews365. First free practice, 2026-10-02. This is the retrieved outlet’s report of the session, not an independently retrieved official classification.

[3]

According to RacingNews365, which attributes the remarks to Mekies speaking to Sky Sports F1, Mekies cautioned against drawing conclusions from the early result. He said Verstappen and Hadjar found a rhythm in difficult conditions, but described the session as only a good starting point because he expected teams to improve their handling of the heat.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies’s assessment of the opening practice session. After first free practice, reported 2026-10-02. These are Mekies’s assessments and expectation, conveyed through RacingNews365; no Sky Sports F1 recording or transcript was supplied.

[3]

Mekies attributed the difficulty to high temperatures, severe tyre loads and rough asphalt, saying teams were trying to return their cars to an effective operating window. He left the subsequent competitive order open rather than claiming Red Bull had established an enduring advantage.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mekies’s explanation of why the practice order might not indicate the competitive order. First free practice, reported 2026-10-02. The operating-window explanation and outlook are Mekies’s interpretation, not a measured finding independently established in the supplied sources.

[3]

Max Verstappen took his first pole position of 2026. Lewis Hamilton qualified second, nearly 0.3 seconds slower.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying result at Sepang Qualifying on 2026-10-03 Result and time gap are reported by the BBC; no separate classification was retrieved.

[4]

The BBC reports that Red Bull brought an upgrade centred on a new floor and assesses that it has worked well at Sepang. The account does not isolate the floor’s effect on lap time.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Red Bull car development The two race weekends discussed in the article, through qualifying on 2026-10-03 The positive assessment is the BBC correspondent’s; the retrieved article supplies no controlled comparison of car configurations.

[4]

Verstappen described Red Bull’s progress as an “incredible result” and said added parts had improved lap time and car balance. These are his assessments, not a measured breakdown of the upgrade’s contribution.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Verstappen’s assessment of the car After qualifying on 2026-10-03, reflecting on the season and recent weekends No component-by-component performance data accompanies the quotation.

[4]

Isack Hadjar qualified third but was due to start eighth because of a penalty for exceeding his permitted number of engine parts. He said the car felt much better than when he last drove it before missing three races.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Hadjar’s qualifying and grid position Qualifying on 2026-10-03; Hadjar’s comparison reaches back to Budapest His assessment of the car is subjective; the qualifying place and penalty are reported by the BBC.

[4]

The BBC reports that Mercedes’ first major update since June had not yet delivered the improvement expected. It leaves open whether the parts or the weekend’s heat and rough track surface explain the result.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes upgrade and competing explanation Sepang weekend through qualifying on 2026-10-03 The cause of Mercedes’ performance is expressly unresolved in the article.

[4]

Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth and moved to third on the grid after Hadjar’s penalty. Antonelli expected track position and pit-stop strategy to matter, but said the number of stops was unknown.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Antonelli’s grid position and race outlook Grid and pre-race comments on 2026-10-03; race still pending The strategic comments are a driver’s expectations, not an observed race outcome.

[4]

RacingNews365 reports that Max Verstappen qualified first and Lewis Hamilton second at Sepang. These are qualifying positions, not a verified final starting grid or race result.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Sepang qualifying positions 3 October 2026 qualifying The retrieved article is the only read account of this result.

[5]

RacingNews365 identifies the Sepang pole as Verstappen's first of the season and the first for Red Bull-Ford Powertrains.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Season and powertrain milestone 2026 season, through 3 October The milestone is reported by the sole retrieved publication.

[5]

RacingNews365's comparison concerns the specific order of Verstappen first and Hamilton second, which it says last occurred at Abu Dhabi in 2021. It does not claim that the pair had not shared a front row in either order since then: the article identifies Hungary 2023 as an intervening instance with Hamilton ahead.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Historical comparison of qualifying order 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to 3 October 2026; intervening 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix The historical comparison comes from RacingNews365's own account and table; no independent historical record was retrieved.

[5]

RacingNews365 counts the Sepang occasion as the pair's 15th shared front row; its table assigns eight poles to Verstappen and seven to Hamilton across those occasions.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Count of shared front rows Listed occasions from Singapore 2018 through Sepang 2026 This is a count within one publication, not an independently verified championship statistic.

[5]

Corrections and updates to this story

06 Oct 2026, 01:21

Bronverwijzingen gecorrigeerd en een onterechte kanttekening over de naam en locatie van de Grand Prix verwijderd.

03 Oct 2026, 17:57

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

03 Oct 2026, 14:41

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

02 Oct 2026, 08:44

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

02 Oct 2026, 07:52

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.