Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his first win of the season in a dramatic, rain-affected Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia. Kimi Antonelli secured second place for Mercedes, further extending his championship lead to 84 points. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after recovering from an initial incorrect tyre choice.
The race start was delayed due to a bug in wet-weather engine settings that impacted several cars, including those of Verstappen and Hamilton. This required new code to be written and uploaded to teams before the race could properly get underway.
Verstappen's victory also marked Red Bull's first as a power-unit manufacturer. Ford is a strategic partner in this project, manufacturing key engine elements and providing engineering support.
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia saw a record crowd of 261,000, more than double its previous largest weekend attendance. The event returned to the calendar after a deal was struck between the Crown Prince of Bahrain and the Malaysian government.