Three things we learned from qualifying at the Bahrain GP as Max Verstappen scored pole in Malaysia

Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the 2026 season at Sepang, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The result sets up a front-row start mirroring the track's last Grand Prix in 2017. F1 Oversteer analyzed three major takeaways from the session, noting Red Bull's growing momentum alongside unexpected qualifying outcomes across the rest of the Formula 1 grid.

Mercedes struggled despite introducing a major upgrade, with Kimi Antonelli qualifying fourth and George Russell eighth as Toto Wolff blamed the tarmac and climate. Meanwhile, Aston Martin showed progress as both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll advanced to Q2 for the first time this season, qualifying in 12th and 14th place, respectively.