F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Verstappen targets first win of season after Sepang pole

Max Verstappen says he will try to turn his first pole position of the season into a win, after improvements to his Red Bull’s balance.

GPBeat · Newsroom05 Oct 2026, 23:52 · 2 min

Lewis Hamilton qualified second at Sepang with a lap of 1:35.428, finishing 0.298 seconds behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Hamilton said Ferrari had made numerous changes during practice and that one final adjustment before qualifying brought the car into what he called its “sweet spot”.

Hamilton said the heat, sliding cars and overheating tyres had made it difficult to find a satisfactory balance during practice.

Update

Max Verstappen topped all three qualifying sessions at Sepang and took pole with a lap of 1:35.130, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The change behind them comes from a five-place grid penalty for Isack Hadjar. BBC Sport reports that the penalty will promote Kimi Antonelli to third on the starting grid.

Hadjar was third-fastest in qualifying, with Antonelli fourth, 0.501 seconds off Verstappen’s pole lap. Their qualifying positions will therefore differ from their starting positions.

Update

After taking his first Formula 1 pole position of the season at Sepang, Verstappen said he had yet to win a race this year and would try to change that the following day. Starting from pole, he said, made victory his goal.

Speaking later to Viaplay, the Red Bull driver said he finally had a car capable of winning. He credited improvements to its balance over the season, while allowing that the Sepang circuit might also suit it better.

Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second, said the heat and rapidly overheating tyres could make the race difficult to manage.

Sources 03

SOURCELewis Hamilton reveals late change hit Ferrari 'sweet spot' in Sepang turnaroundRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-03
PRIMARY SOURCEBahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Verstappen on pole ahead of HamiltonBBC Sport · Source date as found: 2026-10-03
PRIMARY SOURCEVerstappen heeft maar één doel na behalen pole: de race winnenNieuws.nl (ANP) · Source date as found: 2026-10-03

Source context

RacingNews365 English reported Hamilton’s post-qualifying comments and displayed the lap times on 3 October 2026.

BBC Sport’s 3 October 2026 report covers the Sepang qualifying results and Hadjar’s grid penalty.

ANP’s report, carried by Nieuws.nl, relays Verstappen’s post-qualifying remarks and Hamilton’s reaction.

Claims and supporting evidence 15

RacingNews365 reports that Lewis Hamilton qualified second alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen, approximately three-tenths of a second behind. Its displayed times are 1:35.428 for Hamilton and 1:35.130 for Verstappen, a difference of 0.298 seconds.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying result at Sepang Qualifying on 2026-10-03 The result is supported by this retrieved publication alone; its displayed times are not an independently retrieved official classification.

[1]

Hamilton said Ferrari made numerous changes during practice and one final change before qualifying; he judged that the team had found the car's 'sweet spot'. This is his assessment, not an independently measured effect of a specified adjustment.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Hamilton's account of Ferrari's preparation Practice sessions and qualifying on the Sepang race weekend, as reported on 2026-10-03 The article does not identify the final adjustment or isolate its effect from other changes.

[1]

Hamilton described the heat, sliding cars and overheating tyres as challenges to finding a satisfactory balance.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Conditions described by Hamilton Sepang race weekend, as reported on 2026-10-03 This is Hamilton's account of the conditions and their effects; the retrieved page supplies no separate technical measurements.

[1]

Only the RacingNews365 English article was retrieved and read. There is therefore no basis here to identify agreement, different emphases or contradictions between independently read publications.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Source comparison Source record supplied for 2026-10-03 Other reports appear as links on the page, but their contents were not retrieved.

[1]

BBC Sport reports that Max Verstappen qualified ahead of Lewis Hamilton, topping all three qualifying sessions and finishing 0.298 seconds faster.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying result Qualifying reported on 3 October 2026. The report’s separate claim that this was Verstappen’s first pole of 2026 is not included because its account of his previous pole is chronologically inconsistent.

[2]

BBC Sport’s classification lists Verstappen’s pole lap at 1:35.130 and Hamilton second, 0.298 seconds behind.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying times Qualifying reported on 3 October 2026. These are reported qualifying results, not an independently retrieved official classification.

[2]

Isack Hadjar qualified third, but BBC Sport reports a five-place grid penalty and says it will promote Kimi Antonelli to third on the grid. Antonelli qualified fourth, 0.501 seconds off pole.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying position versus starting grid Qualifying reported on 3 October 2026; projected starting grid for the subsequent race. Third in qualifying must not be confused with Hadjar’s projected starting position. No final official starting grid is supplied.

[2]

BBC Sport lists Charles Leclerc fifth, Lando Norris sixth, Oscar Piastri seventh and George Russell eighth in qualifying.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Other qualifying positions Qualifying reported on 3 October 2026. These are qualifying positions, not a final starting grid.

[2]

BBC Sport identifies the qualifying session as part of a Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang in Malaysia and says the race had been postponed earlier in the year because of the war in the Middle East.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Event identification Race weekend reported on 3 October 2026. The unusual event designation and the stated reason for postponement are not corroborated by another retrieved document.

[2]

The report describes the 2026 Abu Dhabi season finale as the occasion of Verstappen’s previous pole and victory, despite the supplied publication date being 3 October 2026. Its claim about his previous pole and victory cannot be accepted as stated.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Chronological inconsistency Report dated 3 October 2026; purported earlier event described as the 2026 season finale. The documents do not establish what year or event the report intended to name.

[2]

ANP reports that Max Verstappen took his first Formula 1 pole position of the season.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Formula 1 qualifying at Sepang, Malaysia 3 October 2026 The retrieved record contains one complete ANP report carried by Nieuws.nl, but no official qualifying classification.

[3]

In a flash interview at Sepang, Verstappen said he had not yet won a race that year and would try to win the following day. This is his stated goal, not a reported victory.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Verstappen’s stated aim after qualifying Statement reported on 3 October 2026, referring to the following day The interview is quoted by ANP; its original recording is not among the retrieved documents.

[3]

ANP reports that Verstappen told Viaplay he finally had a car with which winning was possible. He attributed the improvement in part to better balance over the season, while allowing that the circuit might suit the car better.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Verstappen’s assessment of Red Bull’s car After qualifying, as reported on 3 October 2026 This is Verstappen’s assessment, not a measured finding about the car or a prediction established as fact.

[3]

ANP reports that Verstappen was nearly three tenths of a second faster than Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second in a Ferrari.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying gap and second-place driver Qualifying reported on 3 October 2026 The gap and positions are reported by ANP; no timing sheet is included in the retrieved record.

[3]

Hamilton said the heat and rapid tyre overheating could make the race difficult. This was his expectation, not an observed race outcome.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Hamilton’s assessment of the forthcoming race After qualifying, as reported on 3 October 2026 ANP quotes Hamilton; the retrieved record does not establish how the tyres or race subsequently performed.

[3]

Corrections and updates to this story

05 Oct 2026, 23:52

Nederlandse formulering en schrijfwijze gecorrigeerd; de oorspronkelijke bronnen en feiten zijn behouden.

03 Oct 2026, 12:38

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

03 Oct 2026, 12:10

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.