F1 Today | Verstappen dominates headlines as Antonelli makes worrying admission
Verstappen has wowed the world's media (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)
Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
GPblog rounds up the biggest news stories as the dust settles on a blockbuster weekend in Malaysia.
International media hails Verstappen: 'King of Sepang'
International media are running out of superlatives for Max Verstappen after the Dutchman's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. His performance is particularly highly rated in Italy: “A ten for Verstappen.”
Hamilton overruled Ferrari's pit wall at Sepang, and the lap times back him up
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Lewis Hamilton turned down Ferrari's call to pit for intermediates early in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - and lap times from Sepang suggest the seven-time world champion read the race better than his pit wall did.
Verstappen reveals how Jos really felt watching Red Bull's 2026 struggles
Max Verstappen has provided a rare insight into his father Jos's emotions about Red Bull's difficult start to the 2026 season, saying he found it hard to take.
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Brundle doubts Wolff's neutrality as Russell's title hopes fade
Martin Brundle does not fully believe Toto Wolff's claim that Mercedes is neutral in the 2026 title fight. The Sky Sports pundit says his instinct tells him the team would rather see Kimi Antonelli become champion than George Russell.
How Verstappen's slow formation lap set off the FIA's 60-second lockdown at Sepang
Max Verstappen was the first driver to lose power on the formation laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. New details show his car hit an anti-cheat safeguard at Turn 9 that locked the electrics out for 60 seconds. They also explain why the bug caught some cars and not others.
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Antonelli makes worrying Mercedes admission after defeat to Verstappen
Despite edging even closer to his maiden world title, Kimi Antonelli wasn’t feeling so positive about his Mercedes in Malaysia.
F1 got away with it in Malaysia but Sepang highlighted problems F1 cannot ignore
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Max Verstappen delivered the victory, Lewis Hamilton produced the recovery, and Malaysia supplied the crowds. But beneath the sporting drama, the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang exposed some uncomfortable shortcomings. Cars struggled to complete formation laps, spectators reported transport chaos, and a much-anticipated return of a circuit become overshadowed by poor logistics. Formula 1 should resist the temptation to call that a successful weekend simply because the race eventually entertained.
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