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Kuala Lumpur, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season after delivering a decisive final lap in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit on Saturday, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Isaac Hadjar.
The Red Bull driver clocked a fastest lap of 1:35.130 to secure pole, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who produced his best lap of the weekend to claim a front-row start. Hadjar initially qualified third but would drop to eighth on the starting grid following a five-place penalty.
Verstappen had set the pace in both the opening qualifying sessions and was the first driver to break into the 1:36 range in Q2, recording a time of 1:35.696. He improved further in the final session to secure pole.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured sixth and seventh places, respectively, while Mercedes' George Russell qualified eighth. Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.
The battle for pole had remained open through practice, with Verstappen leading Red Bull in FP1, Leclerc topping FP2 for Ferrari and Antonelli setting the pace for Mercedes in FP3.
Antonelli faced an early setback in Q2 when his opening lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. He returned on fresh soft tires and recovered to qualify fourth.
Liam Lawson qualified 11th after initially being listed 10th, but will start from the back of the grid following a power-unit change. Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll followed him in the qualifying order, with Aston Martin showing improved pace compared with earlier in the season.
Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls were unable to post times in Q2 amid grid penalties. Colapinto faces a five-place penalty for a collision in Baku and a further 10-place penalty for an engine change, while Lindblad is also expected to start from the back following a power-unit change.
Nico Hulkenberg narrowly missed out on Q2, qualifying 17th by just 0.087 seconds. Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon qualified behind him, while Alex Albon took 20th for Williams.
Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez occupied the final two positions, with Bottas ahead of Perez. Both are expected to move up the grid due to penalties imposed on other drivers.