{"id":384977,"date":"2026-10-03T11:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/f1ingenerale.com\/en\/?p=384977"},"modified":"2026-10-03T11:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:10:15","slug":"f1-qualifying-at-sepang-verstappen-leads-hamilton-strong-as-mercedes-lags-behind-for-bahrain-gp-in-malaysia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/f1ingenerale.com\/en\/f1\/f1-qualifying-at-sepang-verstappen-leads-hamilton-strong-as-mercedes-lags-behind-for-bahrain-gp-in-malaysia\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 qualifying at Sepang: Verstappen leads, Hamilton strong as Mercedes lags behind for Bahrain GP in Malaysia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Qualifying concludes at Sepang as penalty reshuffles Bahrain GP grid<\/h2>\n

The qualifying session at the Malaysian Sepang circuit, returning to Formula 1 after nine years, has concluded. Unusually, Sepang is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix this season. Max Verstappen<\/strong> clinched pole position, followed by Lewis Hamilton<\/strong>. Meanwhile, Mercedes finds itself further back on the grid.<\/p>\n

\"F1
Copyright Marco Talluto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Starting grid at Sepang for Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull<\/li>\n
  2. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes<\/li>\n
  4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Lando Norris, McLaren<\/li>\n
  6. Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. George Russell, Mercedes<\/li>\n
  8. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull *<\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. Pierre Gasly, Alpine<\/li>\n
  10. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi<\/strong><\/li>\n
  11. Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls<\/li>\n
  12. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin<\/strong><\/li>\n
  13. Carlos Sainz, Williams<\/li>\n
  14. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin<\/strong><\/li>\n
  15. Nico Hulkenberg, Audi<\/li>\n
  16. Oliver Bearman, Haas<\/strong><\/li>\n
  17. Esteban Ocon, Haas<\/li>\n
  18. Alexander Albon, Williams<\/strong><\/li>\n
  19. Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac<\/li>\n
  20. Sergio Perez, Cadillac<\/strong><\/li>\n
  21. Arvid Lindblad, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls **<\/em><\/li>\n
  22. Franco Colapinto, Alpine ***<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    *5-place penalty<\/em>
    \n
    \n**10-place penalty<\/em>
    \n
    \n***15-place penalty<\/em><\/p>\n

    Qualifying highlights and race outlook<\/h3>\n

    The Sepang qualifying session delivered excitement on this more traditional style circuit, evoking a sense of motorsport’s past. Kimi Antonelli<\/strong> faced a challenge in Q2 after his first lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at turn 6. He needed a second set of soft tires to secure a Top 10 spot, which limited his attempts in Q3.<\/p>\n

    Verstappen dominated, seizing pole from Hamilton, while Mercedes struggled with pace. Questions remain about race strategy as tire degradation and potential rain loom. Ferrari showed promising race pace in practice sessions, matching Red Bull’s strong performance with Verstappen.<\/p>\n

    Mercedes hopes their recent upgrades will improve their competitiveness. Given these factors, the upcoming race promises to be intensely contested.<\/p>\n

    Follow us on social media: Telegram<\/a> – Instagram<\/a> – Facebook<\/a> – Twitter<\/a><\/h4>\n

    Read more F1 content<\/a><\/p>\n

    You can also read this article in Italian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Qualifying concludes at Sepang as penalty reshuffles Bahrain GP grid The qualifying session at the Malaysian Sepang circuit, returning to Formula 1 after nine years, has concluded. Unusually, Sepang is hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix this season. Max Verstappen clinched pole position, followed by Lewis … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2772,"featured_media":384976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"social_description":"Max Verstappen takes pole at Sepang for Bahrain GP; Hamilton strong in Ferrari, while Mercedes struggles with new upgrades.","hashtags":"#F1","fing_it_post_link":"https:\/\/f1ingenerale.com\/f1\/f1-griglia-di-partenza-a-sepang-verstappen-ed-hamilton-super-mercedes-indietro-gp-bahrain-in-malesia\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-384977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1"],"yoast_head":"\nF1 qualifying at Sepang: Verstappen leads, Hamilton strong as Mercedes lags behind for Bahrain GP in Malaysia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Max Verstappen takes pole at Sepang for Bahrain GP; Hamilton strong in Ferrari, while Mercedes struggles with new upgrades.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/f1ingenerale.com\/en\/f1\/f1-qualifying-at-sepang-verstappen-leads-hamilton-strong-as-mercedes-lags-behind-for-bahrain-gp-in-malaysia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"F1 qualifying at Sepang: Verstappen leads, Hamilton strong as Mercedes lags behind for Bahrain GP in Malaysia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Max Verstappen takes pole at Sepang for Bahrain GP; 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