Max Verstappen finally delivered the victory Red Bull had been targeting for several weeks, triumphing in Malaysia at the end of a weekend in which he was the undisputed protagonist. Sepang brought back memories of the dominant weekends Max Verstappen regularly produced during his championship-winning seasons, but the result represented a milestone not only for the Dutch driver. Red Bull Ford Powertrains also secured its first Formula 1 victory.
Speaking after the race, Max Verstappen was keen to highlight the significance of that achievement while also expressing confidence about Red Bull’s future prospects after the positive performance trend established by the Milton Keynes team in recent races.
Max Verstappen calls Red Bull Powertrains victory ‘special’
At the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Max Verstappen ended a 301-day wait to return to the top step of the podium, completing a three-day weekend in which he consistently made the difference. The Dutch driver capitalised on the opportunity offered by the Sepang circuit, helped by a car that has continued to improve technically.
“Apart from the start, everything went well,” Max Verstappen said after the race. “I think that as a team we also made all the right decisions. We were very calm and straightforward.”
The Sepang Sunday was important not only for Max Verstappen, who achieved his objective of winning at least one Grand Prix during the 2026 season, but also for the Red Bull-Ford partnership. Its internally developed power unit recorded its first Formula 1 victory.
“It’s very special to build our own engine and to win already in the first season. I think that is something we should be proud of,” Max Verstappen told Sky Sport. “It has been quite a difficult year for us at certain moments, but in the last few races we have been finding a new strength. Winning a race was the objective we had been working towards and now we’ve achieved it.”
Red Bull’s recent progress gives Max Verstappen confidence
Red Bull has made clear performance gains in recent weeks. An already competitive power unit has now been complemented by a stronger overall car package, allowing Max Verstappen to perform closer to his best once again.
Taking victory on a demanding and distinctive circuit such as Sepang, in conditions that were far from straightforward, could provide an important indication for the final part of the season and potentially for the longer term.
“We’re not fighting for the championship, so it doesn’t make a big difference whether you finish second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth,” Max Verstappen said when discussing the closing stages of the season. “That’s not my objective. What is positive is that at least we are on an upward trend. We are getting better and better and we are also learning a lot for next year.”
With the title fight no longer Max Verstappen’s primary objective, the focus is increasingly on maintaining that development curve and carrying useful lessons into the next season. The wider championship situation can be followed in the latest Formula 1 driver standings.
Laurent Mekies says Max Verstappen was ‘untouchable’ at Sepang
Red Bull Ford Powertrains also received praise from team principal Laurent Mekies after the Malaysian victory.
“It feels like quite a long time has passed since Abu Dhabi last year, but in reality this is only the 16th race,” Laurent Mekies said. “It is the first victory for Red Bull as a complete constructor, both from the chassis point of view and from the power unit point of view. It represents an excellent start to our new adventure.”
Red Bull emerged from the Malaysian weekend as the strongest team on track, showing competitive performance both over a single lap and across longer race runs.
“It’s fantastic to have won with such strong pace this weekend. I think Max was untouchable,” Laurent Mekies added. “Can we come back and fight for victory again? We look at our journey race by race, but even in Baku we showed that we are very close to the perfect pace, so hopefully we can keep this trend going for a while.”
The Sepang breakthrough therefore represents more than simply Max Verstappen ending a long wait for another victory. It confirms the progress Red Bull has made during the latter part of the season and, crucially, gives the Milton Keynes organisation its first Formula 1 victory with the Red Bull Ford Powertrains project.
The result also arrives at a significant stage of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Red Bull now looking to carry its improved form into the remaining races while continuing to gather information that could prove valuable for next year.
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