As The Race reports, Red Bull has catapulted straight back to the top of the order at Sepang. Max Verstappen seized pole position with a three-tenth margin, giving the team its first pole of the year and marking the first time a non-Mercedes powered car has taken pole in 2026. Verstappen topped every session and dominated, leaving a four-tenths gap to team-mate Isack Hadjar, who takes a five-place grid penalty.
Mercedes endured its worst qualifying performance since Hungary, landing Kimi Antonelli fourth and George Russell eighth. Toto Wolff admitted to Sky Sports F1 that the team still believes in its substantial new upgrade, but data analysis revealed the car looks very draggy. Russell and Antonelli both pointed to the abrasive tarmac and searing heat of Sepang as culprits, leaving the team stuck in parc ferme with an upgrade that supposedly improved high-speed corners at the total expense of low-speed turning and straight-line speed.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton celebrated a stunning turnaround by grabbing second on the grid. Hamilton called Ferrari's timing perfect and admitted surprise at reaching the front row for the first time since Barcelona, noting just how punishingly sensitive these 2026 machines are to tiny adjustments in ride height, wing angle, and camber.
Further down the order, Aston Martin enjoyed its best weekend of the season so far. Combining the lighter B-spec car from Hungary with Honda's ADUO 2 upgraded engine, Fernando Alonso missed Q3 by just over four tenths, while Lance Stroll took 14th after feeling the car clicked in Q1. Alonso called it a miracle to fight faster cars, fully expecting to drop backwards on Sunday.
Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto starred by reaching Q3 in 10th after long factory nights following Baku, while team-mate Nico Hulkenberg fell in Q1 down in 17th following an error at Turn 14. Valtteri Bottas bounced back from a dismal time in Baku by taking 21st, running the upgraded Ferrari engine for the first time and finishing over three tenths ahead of Cadillac team-mate Sergio Perez.
At Williams, Alex Albon suffered a difficult day in 20th behind Carlos Sainz, hindered by poor parts quality and a late setup change that made things worse. Meanwhile, Haas recorded its worst qualifying result of the 2026 season right after its first double points finish, with Esteban Ocon missing the best track conditions and Ollie Bearman severely compromised by an incorrect setup applied to his car since practice.
