F1 2026: The Best Moments From The Asian Triple-Header

The Formula 1 Asian triple-header concluded with a Max Verstappen victory in Singapore, capping a productive three-race performance for the Red Bull driver.

But the Dutchman wasn't the only happy driver during F1's visit to Baku, Sepang, and Marina Bay. Drivers across the grid had their share of exciting moments, starting with that heart-stopping finish in the streets of Baku.

Mercedes driver George Russell started from pole and controlled most of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But a Safety Car allowed Verstappen to hunt down Russell. Verstappen got very close to threatening Russell on the run to the finish, but the British driver held on by just one-tenth of a second. 

It was one of the sport's best photo finishes in recent times.

In fact, Baku saw not only one, but two photo finishes in 2026. When Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac late to bring out the yellow flags, Haas' Esteban Ocon took precautions through the affected sector. This allowed Arvid Lindblad of the Racing Bulls to close in, sprinting towards the long run to the finish line and snatching seventh place by just 0.030 seconds.

Prior to the triple-header, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar missed three straight races due to a wrist injury. But he returned to Baku with a bang, qualifying fourth ahead of teammate Max Verstappen. The team eventually made a call to Hadjar to let Verstappen pass, but the French driver still finished P3 to secure his second podium of the season.

Verstappen initially lost positions to the two Mercedes cars at the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. But with his car performing at its peak under wet conditions, the Dutchman eventually retook the lead and maintained it.

Verstappen's win in Sepang gave him and his team some important milestones: his first win of 2026, Red Bull's first win of the season, and Red Bull Ford Powertrains' first win as an engine manufacturer.

Lewis Hamilton started on slick tyres during the initial stint in Sepang. The decision cost him dearly as the wet circuit left him far behind the leaders. Hamilton tumbled to as far back as 17th, but he held on and his soft tyres eventually gave him pace when the track dried up.

In the end, the Ferrari driver finished in third place, with his teammate Charles Leclerc crossing the line in fourth.

Leclerc qualified P2 for the night race in Singapore, giving himself a great opportunity to overtake Verstappen in front. The Monegasque driver had an excellent initial reaction to the start, and he was seemingly on his way to getting the lead.

But Verstappen, with his championship experience, positioned his car well to squeeze off Leclerc into Turn 1. That defensive move preserved his lead and ultimately helped him secure his first victory in the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Due to track limit violations, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had four laps deleted during the race in Singapore. His race engineer, Peter "Bono" Bonnington repeatedly warned Antonelli to not exceed the track limits, as he could be handed a five-second time penalty.

Fortunately for the young Italian driver, the FIA revoked his fourth track limit violation, as it was due to a braking problem in his car. Antonelli avoided the penalty, finished on the podium, and increased his championship lead to 102 points over teammate George Russell.

Mathematically speaking, Antonelli now has a chance to secure the World Drivers' Championship in the next race in the United States.