Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season at the rain-affected Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, finishing ahead of Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari who fought back after a poor tyre choice. Antonelli extended his championship lead to 84 points after his teammate George Russell retired due to engine failure.

This weekend, the excitement shifts to the Singapore Grand Prix, known as Formula 1's original night race.

In response to concerns about wet-weather racing, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addressed the delays at the start of the race. The formation laps were aborted due to a bug affecting engine settings, not due to conservatism regarding wet conditions. As a result, the race started on a dry track after a 25-minute delay, with a safety car deployed on lap nine.

Hamilton speculated that starting on intermediate tyres could have changed his race outcome, but direct comparisons with Verstappen were not possible due to differing conditions.

The Malaysian Grand Prix was a resounding success, with a record crowd of 261,000 attendees, prompting discussions about its potential permanent return to the F1 calendar, contingent on financial agreements.

Verstappen's win marked a significant milestone for Red Bull Powertrains, which is developing its own engine for the upcoming 2026 regulations, with Ford as a key partner.

The debate continues regarding the future of F1 engines, with Verstappen and others advocating for a return to naturally aspirated engines. However, the complexities of fuel use, environmental concerns, and marketing relevance suggest that F1 is likely to evolve towards a new engine formula featuring V8 turbos with hybrid elements.