Here's the thing about Max Verstappen: when he gets a stranglehold on a weekend, there is simply no stopping the man. The Dutchman finally netted his victory of 2026 with a truly dominant drive in Sepang. With the way that he's been driving this year, it felt inevitable that he would eventually hit the top step, but I certainly didn't expect it to arrive in quite such crushing fashion.
His speed was evident right from the start. Max had a total stranglehold on Qualifying, topping every single part of it before laying down two separate laps that were each good enough for pole position. That kind of Saturday dominance was enough to convince some of his nearest competitors at the front that he would simply runaway and hide come lights out on Sunday.
Now, this stunning performance leaves everyone in the paddock asking the exact same question: where on earth has Red Bull's pace suddenly come from?
