F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Full starting grid after three penalties

This is the full starting gird for the 2026 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Max Verstappen starts on pole position after taking the first non Mercedes-powered pole position of the 2026 season. 

The Red Bull driver will be joined on the front row of the grid by his great F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton, who took second place for Ferrari. 

F1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli lines up third ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the second row. 

It’s an all-McLaren row three with Lando Norris going from fifth with team-mate Oscar Piastri alongside in P6. 

George Russell starts seventh after a difficult qualifying for Mercedes, ahead of Isack Hadjar, who serves a five-place grid penalty after Red Bull fitted new power unit components in his RB22. 

Rounding out the top—10 starters are Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto for Alpine and Audi respectively. 

Fernando Alonso starts a season-best 12th for Aston Martin, with team-mate Lance Stroll going from 14th. 

At the other end of the grid, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto will start 21st after being hit with a combined 15-place grid drop. 10 of those places are for taking on a new ICE, while the other five are his penalty for causing a multi-car collision in Azerbaijan. 

Arvid Lindblad will start from the very back of the grid after Racing Bulls fitted a completely new pool of engine components in the F1 rookie’s car.