Verstappen takes Malaysian GP pole for Red Bull

Max Verstappen took pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on Saturday, ending the run of Mercedes-powered cars at the top of the Formula 1 grid in 2026. Lewis Hamilton qualified second for Ferrari, while Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar was third but is due to serve a grid penalty. Verstappen recorded a final qualifying lap of 1 minute, 35.130 seconds. Hamilton was 0.298 seconds behind, and Hadjar finished 0.428 seconds off the pole time. The result gives Verstappen the leading starting position for Sunday’s scheduled 56-lap race, but does not determine the race outcome. Hadjar’s penalty means the starting order is set to change. The qualifying results list Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli fourth and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fifth; Antonelli is due to move up to third if Hadjar’s five-place penalty is applied. The supplied reports do not provide a final, post-penalty grid classification. Verstappen’s pole was the first of the season for a car without a Mercedes power unit. Mercedes drivers Antonelli and George Russell qualified fourth and eighth, respectively, in the session results.