Lap 2/55: Hamilton says that the track is really wet, adding “it’s dangerous”. But he is told it will dry up and to just keep going. Perez is into the pits and he changes to the inters. Norris has also said he wants to change off his mediums, but McLaren tell him not yet.
Lap 1/55: Water splashes everywhere as cars race through, over 90 minutes past the official start time. Gasly spins off into the grass. Verstappen has picked up the Safety Car.
Here we go again! In terms of tyres we have Intermediates for most, including Verstappen. Mediums for Norris and Piastri. Softs for Leclerc and Hamilton. Mercedes are on inters.
Three minutes till race start …
If you’re just tuning in …
The start of the rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix was farcically suspended after multiple cars broke down in the wet conditions.
After a deluge of rain, the start-time for the round – which is taking place in Malaysia – was pushed back by 40 minutes. But when they attempted to get the race underway a number of drivers were hit by technical problems on the formation laps.
Today’s round marks the first time this season’s new cars – a 50-50 split between combustion and battery power which had already faced severe criticism – have run in the wet, in either qualifying or a race.
Pole-sitter Max Verstappen was the first to be struck down by gremlins as he complained he could not accelerate.
That meant the following pack were crawling around the Sepang circuit before Lewis Hamilton, second on the grid, then hit trouble in his Ferrari. “I am pressing the throttle and nothing is happening,” complained the seven-time world champion as he stopped at the side of the track.
Behind Hamilton, other drivers also struggled to move in embarrassing scenes for Formula One. The start was suspended as the drivers limped back to the pits. The original start order will be restored but no word yet on what time the GP will get under way again.
Race start: Confirmation that our start order will be the original grid. Reminder that there is a rule written for suspension of start procedure that says in F1 drivers entering the pit lane will start in the order they entered the pit lane. The FIA have decided to ditch that due to circumstances but we may hear some complaints from teams.
Weather update: The rain has stopped.
Race start: Good news for Lewis Hamilton. The FIA have just said: “In all likelihood, the original grid order will be used to start the race.”
Formation lap: Because the standing procedure has been suspended, the drivers are back into the pit lane as if they were under red flag conditions. Hamilton is crawling around alone to catch back up.
Starting procedure suspended
Lewis Hamilton says he has problems with the throttle and then comes to the stop; the Italian team say it’s a software issue. Drivers behind Hamilton slowed down as not to overtake, so now we have cars all over the track.
Verstappen, who earlier could not accelerate, remains behind the Safety Car, but some of the back markers are nearly a lap down already.
Formation lap: The first of at least two formation laps is under way. The track temperature is down to 35C, while the air temperature is 25C.
Weather update: The rain is still falling, although it has eased considerably. The bigger concern now is the amount of standing water that has built up on the track.
Race control will give the teams a 10-minute warning once they believe conditions are suitable for racing to begin.
From there, we could see a traditional standing start, or the race could get underway behind the Safety Car. If the cars follow the Safety Car, Race Control can then choose between a rolling start or a standing start. They can also mandate the use of full wet tyres while the cars are behind the Safety Car.
Once the race gets underway on either wet or intermediate tyres, however, teams will not be required to use two different dry compounds.
Weather update: The medical car is out now, and not finding it easy to stay on the track!. The latest from the FIA: “[The] medical car is reporting a significant amount of standing water around the track. Current conditions are not suitable to start the race.”
Weather update: “Rain intensity have been steady for the last 10 mins and no improvement is forecasted for the next 5/10 mins,” the FIA have just said. “[The] medical car is going on track shortly to report on track conditions.”
Tyres: Tyre degradation has been one of the big talking points throughout the weekend, and with the rain threatening to shake things up, it is worth taking another look at what could prove crucial if the track starts to dry.
The circuit’s naturally abrasive surface is already putting plenty of stress through the tyres, while the extreme track temperatures had been adding to the problem too. With the conditions cooling, that is less of a concern for now.
There is also a degree of uncertainty. F1 has not raced here for almost a decade, so teams have limited recent data to work with – particularly with this generation of cars. How much degradation will we see if drivers are forced to follow closely for extended periods? And with no wet races so far this season, there is another unknown in how the intermediate tyres will perform.
All of that made the strategy difficult enough to predict before the heavens opened. Now, with the rain in play, it could become even more complicated.
Red Bull: Max Verstappen says: “I think in the dry or the wet, the more clean air you have, the better. The thing around here it’s always very difficult to know because there are new cells popping up, so it’s hard to predict for everyone.”
McLaren: Lando Norris says: “It’s good fun, I’m happy I finally got to come here and race. I’ve seen some brilliant races [here] so I’m hoping for the same today. There are a lot of things to try and take into account, I’m hoping it can be a good track for racing. I’m looking forward to it, I hope there are opportunities for us and that we can take advantage of them.”
Race start delayed
Due to the weather conditions the race will be delayed.
We watch the drivers stand with their umbrellas as the two national anthems play out. First, since this is the Bahrain Grand Prix, we hear that anthem followed by the Malaysian national anthem.
Weather update: A big bolt of lightning has just flashed over the circuit and the rain continues to pour down.
Racing Bulls: Alan Permane, the Team Principal, says: “This [rain] popped up from nowhere and it has grown and grown and got stronger. I think it will be inters. If it starts like this they will mandate the wet tyre but because the track is so abrasive, it will get chewed up anyway.”
Mercedes: Antonelli remains comfortably in control of the championship, holding a 66-point advantage over his Mercedes team-mate Russell. Verstappen, meanwhile, sits down in sixth and looks unlikely to pose a serious threat to the title fight from here.
For Russell, though, today represents a crucial opportunity. Starting seventh, he has plenty of work to do if he is to stop Antonelli from extending his championship lead. And if the conditions turn wet, Russell could yet have a card to play. He has proven himself more than capable in tricky conditions – but Antonelli has too.
Just look back to the Italian’s remarkable debut in Australia last year. In treacherous conditions, Antonelli was the only rookie to finish the race, charging from 16th on the grid to take an impressive fourth-place finish.
Weather update: It has begun to rain down heavily. In terms of track conditions, it is a lot cooler at 43C than yesterday, when at times the track was at 59C.
2026 season: The final races of the Formula One season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned despite the conflict in the Middle East, the sport’s chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, said on Saturday.
“Based on the information we have, everything is confirmed for [us to stay in] Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” Domenicali told the French broadcaster Canal+ on the sidelines of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was relocated to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, the head of motorsport’s blue riband series “confirmed the schedule for the final two grands prix” of the year in Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December.
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix were scrapped earlier this season due to the start of the US-led war with Iran.
Domenicali insisted “that everything was in order” and that “teams and drivers were being kept informed of the situation”. He added that 99% of tickets had been sold in Abu Dhabi and that the season-ending race was generating “great excitement”.
Read the full story below.
Preamble
All eyes are on Sepang as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia gets ready to roar into life – and there is plenty at stake.
And there is plenty to get excited about as Max Verstappen starts from pole, with Lewis Hamilton alongside him on the front row – the first time the two have shared the front row since July 2023.
Verstappen finally has his first pole of the season after an outstanding qualifying session, and the four-time world champion will be targeting his first Red Bull victory of the campaign. Hamilton, meanwhile, will be chasing a second career win with Ferrari.
Behind them, Isack Hadjar starts third but will drop five places due to his grid penalty, promoting the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, to the second row. The Italian arrives with a healthy lead over title rival George Russell, who starts seventh, and will have his sights firmly set on another victory.
With the championship battle heating up and Verstappen and Hamilton starting side by side, there is plenty at stake when the lights go out.
Stay with us as we buildup to the start at 8am BST time.
