Verstappen looms as Mercedes spoiler for Antonelli and Russell as F1 returns to Malaysia

The 2026 Formula 1 title race has crystallised into a two-horse fight between Mercedes teammates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but the man every team on the grid fears remains Max Verstappen.

With eight rounds remaining, Antonelli leads Russell by 66 points heading into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia — a race relocated to the Sepang International Circuit for the first time since 2017. The Italian arrives after what he called his "worst weekend" of the season in Baku and will be tested by the quality of Mercedes' major upgrade package due to debut in Malaysia.

Yet even as the Silver Arrows threaten to dominate the final third of the season, Verstappen and Red Bull are yet to win a race in 2026 and could still create problems for the championship protagonists.

A familiar threat

This is the first season since 2020 that Verstappen has not seriously challenged for the title. He won four championships in a row from 2021 to 2024 and came just two points short of a remarkable comeback against Lando Norris in 2025. After a difficult start to 2026, Red Bull appear to be on an upward trajectory again — and history shows Verstappen will be an issue for any title leader.

Ten years ago, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton battled for the crown while a 19-year-old Verstappen repeatedly rattled both. "My god, having him around in the races! The risk of a DNF for myself, it increases like 10-fold," Rosberg told Sky Sports F1, recalling how the Dutchman passed him in three of the final four races. "The feelings that I had in the battle and right after when I realised that I passed him, I've never had that in a race car before ever in my life."

Red Bull's revival

Mercedes have had a consistently quick car at every race in 2026, while Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have been erratic. On average, Red Bull have fielded the fourth-fastest car — yet Verstappen has the most podiums (seven) of any non-Mercedes driver, five of them in the last six rounds.

The team's last major upgrade of the season arrived in Baku, with a new floor body, diffuser and sidepods. Verstappen was less than two tenths from snatching victory from Russell, while Isack Hadjar finished third on his return — the first time in over two years that two Red Bull drivers shared a podium.

"On paper, Baku was the most favourable [track] in terms of car characteristics," said Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies. "Equally, I think the performance we've shown in the race is giving us decent hope that we will get another couple of occasions before the end of the year."

The Sepang circuit, with its big medium-to-high-speed corners, will be the real test of those upgrades. Tyre wear has plagued Red Bull, but if Baku fixed it, Verstappen and Hadjar should be competitive again.

Verstappen's mindset

Verstappen is chasing a record of winning in 10 consecutive seasons — the all-time mark of 15 is held by Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. He played down the pursuit but made his intent clear.

"If Mercedes is bringing an upgrade and it works, then they take a step ahead, and that's not what you want. It will make it even more difficult to win," said Verstappen. "But we'll try every single weekend and, of course, if the opportunity is there, we go for it."

Las Vegas in November mirrors Baku's low degradation and long straights, while Mexico City's high altitude in October could suit the Honda power unit that thrived there under previous rules. Even if a win proves beyond him, Verstappen will be feisty on opening laps and Safety Car restarts, with nothing to lose against the Mercedes pair.

Antonelli and Russell do not need to beat Verstappen to settle the title — but as Baku proved, they must beware the Dutchman, who never makes life easy on track.

How to watch

Formula 1 returns to Malaysia from Friday morning live on Sky Sports F1, with practice on October 2, qualifying on October 3 and the Bahrain Grand Prix on October 4.