Instagram Facebook X-twitter Youtube

BAHRAIN 2026

APRIL 10 - 12

Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Circuito Bahrain Colorido

First Grand Prix

2004

Circuit Length

5.412 km

Lap Record

1:31.447

Pedro de la Rosa (2005)

  • Sprint Qualifying

Number of Laps

57

Race Distance

308.484 km

Most wins

5

Lewis Hamilton

  • Sprint Race

Schedule

  • Track time

10 APR - 06:30 PM

Practice 1

10 APR - 10:00 PM

Practice 2

11 APR - 06:30 PM

Practice 3

11 APR - 10:00 PM

Qualifying

12 APR - 10:00 PM

Race

Winners

  • Last 5 winners

2026

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

2025

Oscar Piastri

McLaren

2024

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

2023

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

2022

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

Race Results

POS NUM DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP LAPS
1 3 Max Verstappen RED BULL 1:37.520 23
2 63 George Russell MERCEDES 1:37.903 +0.383s 25
3 6 Isack Hadjar RED BULL 1:38.303 +0.783s 23
4 16 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 1:38.367 +0.847s 25
5 12 Kimi Antonelli MERCEDES 1:38.580 +1.060s 23
6 44 Lewis Hamilton FERRARI 1:38.590 +1.070s 21
7 10 Pierre Gasly ALPINE 1:38.715 +1.195s 22
8 30 Liam Lawson RACING BULLS 1:39.106 +1.586s 22
9 41 Arvid Lindblad RACING BULLS 1:39.197 +1.677s 27
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg AUDI 1:39.211 +1.691s 23
11 81 Oscar Piastri MCLAREN 1:39.276 +1.756s 23
12 1 Lando Norris MCLAREN 1:39.293 +1.773s 21
13 5 Gabriel Bortoleto AUDI 1:39.548 +2.028s 25
14 14 Fernando Alonso ASTON MARTIN 1:39.683 +2.163s 22
15 31 Esteban Ocon HAAS 1:40.158 +2.638s 23
16 87 Oliver Bearman HAAS 1:40.311 +2.791s 23
17 23 Alexander Albon WILLIAMS 1:40.321 +2.801s 22
18 18 Lance Stroll ASTON MARTIN 1:40.413 +2.893s 19
19 43 Franco Colapinto ALPINE 1:40.531 +3.011s 22
20 55 Carlos Sainz WILLIAMS 1:40.605 +3.085s 25
21 77 Valtteri Bottas CADILLAC 1:40.800 +3.280s 23
22 11 Sergio Perez CADILLAC 1:40.820 +3.300s 24

Race Results

P N DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP LAPS
1 3 Verstappen Red Bull 1:37.520 23
2 63 Russell Mercedes 1:37.903 +0.383s 25
3 6 Hadjar Red Bull 1:38.303 +0.783s 23
4 16 Leclerc Ferrari 1:38.367 +0.847s 25
5 12 Antonelli Mercedes 1:38.580 +1.060s 23
6 44 Hamilton Ferrari 1:38.590 +1.070s 21
7 10 Gasly Alpine 1:38.715 +1.195s 22
8 30 Lawson Racing Bulls 1:39.106 +1.586s 22
9 41 Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:39.197 +1.677s 27
10 27 Hulkenberg Audi 1:39.211 +1.691s 23
11 81 Piastri McLaren 1:39.276 +1.756s 23
12 1 Norris McLaren 1:39.293 +1.773s 21
13 5 Bortoleto Audi 1:39.548 +2.028s 25
14 14 Alonso Aston Martin 1:39.683 +2.163s 22
15 31 Ocon Haas 1:40.158 +2.638s 23
16 87 Bearman Haas 1:40.311 +2.791s 23
17 23 Albon Williams 1:40.321 +2.801s 22
18 18 Stroll Aston Martin 1:40.413 +2.893s 19
19 43 Colapinto Alpine 1:40.531 +3.011s 22
20 55 Sainz Williams 1:40.605 +3.085s 25
21 77 Bottas Cadillac 1:40.800 +3.280s 23
22 11 Perez Cadillac 1:40.820 +3.300s 24

Race Results

Ps Drv Time Gap Laps
1 VER 1:37.520 23
2 RUS 1:37.903 +0.383s 25
3 HAD 1:38.303 +0.783s 23
4 LEC 1:38.367 +0.847s 25
5 ANT 1:38.580 +1.060s 23
6 HAM 1:38.590 +1.070s 21
7 GAS 1:38.715 +1.195s 22
8 LAW 1:39.106 +1.586s 22
9 LIN 1:39.197 +1.677s 27
10 HUL 1:39.211 +1.691s 23
11 PIA 1:39.276 +1.756s 23
12 NOR 1:39.293 +1.773s 21
13 BOR 1:39.548 +2.028s 25
14 ALO 1:39.683 +2.163s 22
15 OCO 1:40.158 +2.638s 23
16 BEA 1:40.311 +2.791s 23
17 ALB 1:40.321 +2.801s 22
18 STR 1:40.413 +2.893s 19
19 COL 1:40.531 +3.011s 22
20 SAN 1:40.605 +3.085s 25
21 BOT 1:40.800 +3.280s 23
22 PER 1:40.820 +3.300s 24

Score Ratings

Max Verstappen

9.7

Verstappen and Red Bull finally converted their pace into the first victory of 2026. They were the strongest combination throughout the weekend, and the win came through performance rather than luck or an opponent’s mistake. Despite a poor start, Max recovered quickly and took control of a demanding race in changing conditions. The championship leader stayed close, but Verstappen held firm and delivered a complete weekend.

Lewis Hamilton

9.2

Starting from the front row, Hamilton showed the pace to fight for the win, but Ferrari’s decision to begin on slick tyres sent him tumbling down the order. He responded with a superb recovery as the track dried, making a series of decisive overtakes. His third place was impressive, though the strategy left him wondering what might have been. It was one of his strongest drives of the season.

Fernando Alonso

9.0

Aston Martin finally scored points, and Alonso made the most of the opportunity. After the team confirmed he would remain for 2027, he produced a measured drive in difficult conditions and came alive in the second half of the race. He passed Lindblad, Hulkenberg, and several Haas and Alpine cars to secure eighth. At 45, his experience remains a major asset for the team.

Charles Leclerc

8.6

Leclerc’s race followed a similar pattern to Hamilton’s, but contact in the midfield at the start made his recovery more complicated. He fitted intermediate tyres after the ideal window had passed, losing valuable time as conditions changed. Even so, he found strong pace and worked his way back through the field. Fourth was a solid result after a difficult opening phase.

Liam Lawson

8.5

Lawson once again emerged as one of the strongest midfield performers. He made good use of the intermediate tyres, gained positions early, and spent a significant part of the race ahead of Piastri. His battles with the faster cars, including two moves on Hadjar, showed confidence and good judgement. Seventh was a deserved result and another boost for Racing Bulls.

Kimi Antonelli

8.3

Antonelli managed Mercedes’ limitations well on a hot and demanding weekend. He made an excellent start, briefly took the lead, and then settled into a position where he could protect a valuable second place. Strategic mistakes by several rivals helped, but he still had to keep the car under control and deliver when it mattered. A champion must also know when second place is the best result available.

Arvid Lindblad

8.1

Starting from the back after an engine change, Lindblad made remarkable progress and spent much of the race inside the top 10. He handled the changing conditions and Safety Car periods well, staying close enough to the points despite the difficult starting position. Alonso passed him late in the race, but that did not diminish the recovery. Scoring points from last place was an excellent achievement.

Isack Hadjar

7.9

Hadjar put together a strong race, even though he was never able to match Verstappen’s pace. He stayed in contention for a good result and showed the speed that had impressed earlier in the weekend. The strategy left him exposed in the closing stages, allowing both Ferraris to pass. Fifth was still a solid outcome, particularly against such strong opposition.

George Russell

7.2

Russell’s race was better than the final result suggests. He was running near the front and looked set for a podium before an engine problem forced him to retire. The failure turned a promising afternoon into a costly setback and will require an earlier power-unit change. That could bring a penalty at Singapore, making the retirement even more damaging for his championship hopes.

Oscar Piastri

7.1

Piastri did not have the pace to challenge at the front, and his race was shaped by tyre strategy and the changing conditions. He spent a long time trying to make progress while the leading cars had an advantage, leaving him with few chances to attack. He finished ahead of Norris, though his team-mate’s late mistake contributed to that result. It was a difficult weekend, but not one where Piastri had many opportunities to change the outcome.

Nico Hulkenberg

7.0

Hulkenberg recovered well after a qualifying mistake left him starting outside the top 10. He made steady progress and remained close to the points, but Audi did not have enough pace to secure a top-10 finish. Eleventh place is becoming a familiar result for the team. Hulkenberg extracted what he could from the car, even if another points opportunity slipped away.

Franco Colapinto

6.4

Colapinto started 21st after an engine penalty, so beginning the race on slick tyres was an understandable attempt to gain ground. The gamble did not pay off as the conditions changed, and he spent the afternoon trying to recover. He kept going and finished ahead of his team-mate, which gave Alpine a small positive. Considering where he started, 13th was a respectable recovery, even if the strategy did not deliver the hoped-for result.

Lance Stroll

6.3

The conditions and circuit appeared to suit Aston Martin better, and Stroll made progress in the latter part of the race. He kept the car on track through a complicated afternoon and moved forward as others struggled. However, he could not match Alonso’s pace or reach the points. His performance was steady, but the gap to his team-mate showed that Aston Martin still needs more from both sides of the garage.

Carlos Sainz

6.2

Sainz made an encouraging start and was in a position to fight for points. His race was then disrupted by contact with Bortoleto, for which he was not at fault, and he lost the momentum needed to recover. Williams lacked the pace to make up those positions once the field settled. The final result does not reflect the promising start, but the team’s limited race pace left Sainz with few options.

Esteban Ocon

5.7

Ocon looked capable of scoring points for much of the race and was among the strongest midfield runners early on. His performance faded after the final pit stop, however, and he dropped to 15th. The sudden loss of pace left both driver and team searching for an explanation. It was a frustrating end to a race that had shown real potential.

Lando Norris

5.5

Sepang did not suit McLaren particularly well, and Norris struggled to find an advantage over Piastri. The tyre decision at the start affected the team’s chances, but Norris was still in the fight later in the race. A mistake near the end nearly brought him into contact with his team-mate, sent him off track, and cost him several places. His pace was not especially strong, and the late error made a difficult weekend worse.

Oliver Bearman

5.3

Bearman and Haas had reasonable pace, but the team did not have enough performance to recover from the strategic disadvantage. He made limited progress as the race developed and eventually finished behind Colapinto. There was little opportunity to challenge the cars ahead, especially as conditions changed. It was an anonymous afternoon, with the car’s limitations setting a low ceiling for the result.

Pierre Gasly

5.0

Gasly started ninth and had a genuine chance to score points, but the decision to start on slick tyres quickly undermined his race. He lost ground as the conditions changed and could not recover the pace he had shown earlier in the weekend. Finishing behind Colapinto made the result even more disappointing. Alpine’s strategic gamble did not work, and Gasly paid the price.

Sergio Perez

4.6

Perez had one of his more difficult weekends, and Saturday was a rare occasion when he was slower than Bottas. Sunday became complicated before the race even began, when a widespread problem affected the start. Perez compared the experience to driving a rental kart, underlining his frustration with the situation. With so little running under normal conditions, he had limited opportunity to show what he could do.

Alexander Albon

4.5

Albon made a reasonable start, but his afternoon gradually unravelled. A lock-up cost him time, and a double-stack pit stop further damaged his track position. A gearbox problem eventually ended his race. Williams did not have the pace to recover from those setbacks, leaving Albon with little chance to make a meaningful impact.

Gabriel Bortoleto

3.8

Bortoleto’s race initially looked promising. After changing his mind about slick tyres and pitting after the formation lap, he quickly worked his way back into the top 10. His mistake at the restart after the Safety Car changed everything: he hit Sainz and damaged his own car. That incident erased the progress he had made and turned a potential points finish into a difficult afternoon.

Valtteri Bottas

3.3

Bottas began the weekend positively, at times running ahead of Perez, but the decision to start on slick tyres proved costly. He tried to extract more from the Cadillac than the conditions and car allowed, lost control, and ended up in the gravel. The incident brought out the Safety Car and ended his race. It was a disappointing finish to a weekend that had shown some early promise.