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Formula 1 Focus: Russell and Red Bull on the Rise as Piastri’s Problems Mount The latest Formula 1 weekend in Malaysia produced several important developments in the championship, with George Russell and Red Bull emerging as major talking points while Oscar Piastri’s difficult run continued. The Bahrain Grand Prix, unusually held at Sepang International Circuit, delivered a chaotic race affected by heavy rain, changing tyre conditions and several incidents. Max Verstappen ultimately claimed his first victory of the 2026 season, while Kimi Antonelli finished second and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium. Russell’s rise takes another twist George Russell has been one of the most intriguing stories of the season. After finally returning to winning form in Azerbaijan, the Mercedes driver appeared to have given himself a genuine opportunity to challenge team-mate Kimi Antonelli for the championship. However, his Malaysian weekend ended in frustration. Russell had been running strongly and remained in contention for a podium position during the closing stages of the race. Mercedes looked set to collect another major result before a suspected power-unit problem forced him to stop with only a handful of laps remaining. The retirement was particularly painful because Russell had been performing at a high level throughout the race. His Mercedes had shown strong pace in the difficult conditions, but another mechanical failure denied him valuable championship points. The result also dealt a major blow to his title hopes. Antonelli finished second and extended his advantage over Russell to 84 points, leaving the young Italian in a much stronger position at the top of the standings. Red Bull finally have something to celebrate While Mercedes were left wondering what might have been, Red Bull had plenty of reasons to celebrate. Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory, securing his first win of the 2026 season. It was also an important reward for Red Bull after a campaign in which the team had struggled to consistently match the leading Mercedes machinery. The victory was especially significant because Verstappen had openly admitted before the race that he wanted to win at least one Grand Prix this year. After 15 rounds without a victory, the Dutchman finally achieved his objective at a circuit where he had also won the last Formula 1 race held in Sepang in 2017. Red Bull also placed Isack Hadjar inside the top five, giving the team another strong points haul. The performance suggests that Red Bull’s recent development work is beginning to produce results. Verstappen was able to control the race once he regained the lead, showing that the car had enough pace to remain ahead despite the constantly changing conditions. Piastri’s difficult period continues Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, endured another frustrating weekend. The McLaren driver finished sixth in Malaysia, collecting points but remaining some distance from the fight for victory. His team-mate Lando Norris finished behind him in ninth after running into trouble during a late restart. Piastri’s result comes during a period in which the Australian has struggled to reproduce the consistency that made him one of the leading contenders earlier in his career. His sixth-place finish was not disastrous, particularly considering the difficult conditions at Sepang, but it highlighted how difficult it has become for him to challenge the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers at the front. McLaren will also be looking carefully at the balance between its two drivers. While Piastri finished ahead of Norris in Malaysia, neither driver was able to challenge for the podium. A championship battle becoming clearer The Malaysian race therefore produced contrasting fortunes. Antonelli strengthened his championship position, Verstappen finally returned to the top step of the podium, Russell suffered another costly retirement, and Piastri continued to search for a way back into the strongest part of the championship fight. For Red Bull, Verstappen’s victory could prove to be an important turning point. The team now has confirmation that its recent progress can translate into race-winning performance. For Mercedes, the pace remains encouraging, but reliability has become an increasingly important concern for Russell. And for Piastri, the priority will be to regain momentum before the gap to the championship leaders becomes too difficult to overcome. With the season entering an increasingly decisive phase, the battle at the front remains wide open. Verstappen has rediscovered his winning form, Antonelli continues to control the championship, Russell is fighting against both the points deficit and mechanical setbacks, while McLaren must find answers if Piastri is to return to the title picture.