Liam Lawson secured a seventh-place finish at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, a race marked by heavy rain and strategic tyre decisions. The Racing Bulls driver started 11th on the grid at the Sepang International Circuit and made a rapid ascent through the field in the opening stages. This event, the 16th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season, was relocated to Sepang from its original Bahrain International Circuit venue due to the 2026 Iran war, retaining its original Grand Prix designation.
The race start was delayed by 93 minutes due to torrential rain, leading to a split in tyre strategies across the grid. Lawson, starting on intermediate tyres, capitalised on the wet conditions to climb to fourth place early on, engaging in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Max Verstappen for third position.
Verstappen, who started from pole position, initially lost ground to Kimi Antonelli and George Russell but recovered to reclaim second by Lap 6. Lawson subsequently lost fourth to Isack Hadjar at the final corner, finding himself exposed as the Red Bull drivers established their pace at the front.
As the track dried, the complexion of the race shifted, favouring those who had opted for slick tyres or were able to switch under safety car conditions. Lawson transitioned to the hard compound, maintaining a points-scoring position despite the evolving conditions.
He later engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Oscar Piastri. Piastri eventually overtook Lawson for sixth on Lap 30, after a wheel-to-wheel exchange into Turns 1 and 2. Lawson reflected on this, stating he wished he had defended more aggressively.
‘Great start. I didn’t expect to be fighting Max in Turn 1 from where I was starting, but the car hooked up,’ Lawson told accredited media after the race. ‘I’m just very, very happy, very proud of the team, [made] all the right decisions today, the tyre choices, as much as sometimes I doubted it, to be honest.’
Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the 2026 season, marking a significant milestone for Red Bull Ford Powertrains. Kimi Antonelli finished second, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third, recovering from an initial slick tyre gamble.
George Russell, who had been running in a podium position, was forced to retire late in the race due to a power unit failure during a Safety Car period. This incident further impacted his championship aspirations, increasing Antonelli’s lead to 84 points.
Lawson’s seventh-place finish earned Racing Bulls six valuable points, contributing to the team’s standing. Racing Bulls currently sit fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 90 points, 22 points clear of Alpine. This result marked the team’s seventh double points finish of the 2026 season, with teammate Arvid Lindblad finishing 10th.
Verstappen’s win at Sepang was his 72nd career victory and his first of the 2026 season, placing him sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with 163 points. Piastri, who finished sixth, is currently seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 120 points, having experienced a challenging season with reliability issues and strategic gambles.
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was the 20th Formula 1 Grand Prix held at the Sepang International Circuit, marking its return to the calendar since 2017. The circuit is known for its demanding layout, combining long straights, heavy-braking zones, and a variety of fast, flowing corners, often compounded by high heat and humidity.
