Verstappen’s Sepang wins were his first of the 2017 and 2026 F1 seasons
Max Verstappen’s Sepang wins in 2017 and 2026 were each his first victories of the Formula 1 season. GPBeat reports that he passed championship leader Lewis Hamilton for the lead in 2017, while in 2026 he lost places at the start before taking the lead back from Kimi Antonelli at the restart.
Max Verstappen’s win at Sepang on 4 October 2026 was his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season. His win at the same circuit on 1 October 2017 was his first of the 2017 season. The 2017 race was the final Malaysian Grand Prix; in 2026, Sepang hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The routes to the lead differed. In 2017, Verstappen qualified third and passed championship leader Lewis Hamilton for the lead. In 2026, he started from pole, but a poor start on intermediates let Kimi Antonelli and George Russell pass him; he quickly overtook Russell. As the track dried, a safety-car period allowed drivers to switch to slicks. Verstappen chose new soft tyres while Antonelli and Russell took mediums, then reclaimed the lead from Antonelli at the restart.
Hamilton finished on the podium in both races, but his position changed. In 2017 he started from pole and finished second, 12.7 seconds behind Verstappen; in 2026 he started second and finished third behind Antonelli.
Ten drivers who appeared on the grid at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix were back on the Sepang grid in 2026. Verstappen alone among them drove for the same team in both years. The practice pattern also repeated: Verstappen was fastest in FP1 and fourth in FP2 in both 2017 and 2026; Kimi Räikkönen topped FP3 in 2017, while Kimi Antonelli did so in 2026.
The 2017 victory came in championship round 15; Verstappen’s first win of the 2026 season came in round 16.
Sources 03
- SOURCEVerstappen herhaalt geschiedenis in Maleisië met indrukwekkende overwinningRacingNews365 Nederland
- SOURCEZo versloeg Verstappen Mercedes in de GP van Bahrein in MaleisiëRacingNews365 Nederland
- SOURCEZo veroverde Verstappen zijn waanzinnige poleposition in MaleisiëRacingNews365 Nederland
Claims and supporting evidence 7
The retrospective gives both dates, the Sepang venue, the event names and the first-win comparison.
The retrospective states Verstappen’s qualifying position and describes Hamilton as the 2017 championship leader whom he passed for the lead.
The race analysis describes the start, overtake, tyre choices and restart sequence.
The retrospective gives Hamilton’s starting and finishing positions in both races and the 2017 time gap.
The retrospective states the grid overlap and the team comparison.
The retrospective directly compares the three practice sessions across the two years.
The retrospective states the championship rounds for both first wins.
Corrections and updates to this story
Verstappen’s Sepang wins were his first of the F1 season in both 2017 and 2026
Updated to clarify that Verstappen lost places at the start in 2026 before regaining the lead after the safety-car tyre change. / Bijgewerkt om te verduidelijken dat Verstappen in 2026 bij de start plaatsen verloor en na de bandenwissel onder de safetycar de leiding heroverde.
Verstappen’s Sepang wins were his first of the 2017 and 2026 F1 seasons
Updated to add the Sepang grid overlap and repeated practice pattern across 2017 and 2026; the earlier clarification that Verstappen lost places at the 2026 start before recovering the lead after a safety-car tyre change remains. / Bijgewerkt met de overlap tussen de grids op Sepang in 2017 en 2026 en het terugkerende trainingspatroon; de eerdere verduidelijking dat Verstappen bij de start van 2026 plaatsen verloor en na een bandenwissel onder de safetycar de leiding heroverde, blijft behouden.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.