Max Verstappen took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia today, but not before the race threw absolutely everything at the grid. A delayed start of more than an hour and a half due to heavy rain and confusion over grid positioning set the tone for what became one of the most mental races we've seen in ages. When the action finally got going, Verstappen was clinical, controlling the restart and holding off championship leader Kimi Antonelli to take the win.

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The drama didn't stop there though. George Russell's title hopes took a massive hit when the Mercedes driver was forced to retire from third place late in the race, apparently due to a suspected engine problem. With no points on the board, Russell's challenge for the championship is essentially done. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton showed vintage form, fighting his way up from a shocking start to secure third place behind Antonelli on the podium.

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The race at Sepang was an absolute mess from the word go. Cars got out of position during safety car procedures because of reported software issues, and the FIA had to use the original grid line-up for the restart. Two more safety car periods followed after Valtteri Bottas and Alexander Albon both retired, meaning fans got treated to stop-start racing that made it hard to predict where anyone would finish. Despite all the chaos, Verstappen's Red Bull proved to have the pace and he grabbed his ninth win at this circuit from nine years ago when he was just starting his career.

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Charles Leclerc managed to claw his way back into contention after a difficult start, eventually taking fourth place by the end of the afternoon. Young gun Isack Hadjar had an eventful time as well, getting hunted down by both Hamilton and Leclerc in the closing stages. The whole day had everyone on edge, but when the dust finally settled and that chequered flag dropped, it was Max's moment to celebrate in what's been a tough weekend for nearly everyone else.

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