MAX Verstappen finally has his first pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The four-time world champion delivered when it mattered most at Sepang International Circuit on Saturday, clocking a blistering 1:35.130 in Q3 to beat Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.298 seconds and secure his first pole of the year.
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“It’s fantastic. We’ve been trying many Grands Prix to get pole, sometimes a bit closer than others, but to finally get it from where we started the season, it’s pretty incredible," the Red Bull star said.
Verstappen had been knocking on the door throughout qualifying, topping both Q1 and Q2 before producing the fastest lap when it mattered most in Q3.
The pole also marks Verstappen’s first since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, capping a remarkable turnaround from where Red Bull began the season.
Hamilton put Ferrari on the front row alongside Verstappen, while Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar initially qualified third. However, Hadjar’s five-place grid penalty means Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will start third, with Hadjar dropping down the order.
Antonelli had entered qualifying with momentum after topping final practice earlier Saturday, but Verstappen found the extra pace when it mattered.
Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, with McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lining up sixth and seventh. George Russell qualified eighth for Mercedes.
The result sets up a Verstappen-Hamilton front-row battle when Formula 1 returns to Sepang, a circuit where Verstappen last raced in 2017 and won the Malaysian Grand Prix.
This time, however, the stakes are higher.
With Antonelli starting third and Verstappen looking to make up ground in the championship fight, Sunday’s 56-lap race offers the Red Bull ace an opportunity to turn his long-awaited pole into valuable points.
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