2026 Bahrain GP Race: Fastest Lap & Pace Gaps
Every car frozen on the finish line, with each gap to Max Verstappen’s fastest lap shown to scale in real metres. Race at Kuala Lumpur, round 16.
Open the interactive 3D Gap Visualizer →Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 Race: what happened
Max Verstappen set the fastest lap for the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 Race with a 1:38.220 for Red Bull Racing at Kuala Lumpur. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) was 0.369s behind, and at racing speed that is 33.1 m of track between them as they crossed the line.
Lewis Hamilton completed the top three for Ferrari, 0.390s off Max Verstappen. Across the whole classified order the field spread out to 1949.9 m, from Max Verstappen to Valtteri Bottas.
The closest call of the session was between Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg: 0.012s apart, about 1.1 m at speed.
| # | Driver | Team | Lap time | Gap | Behind (to scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:38.220 | Fastest | — |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:38.589 | +0.369 | 33.1 m |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:38.610 | +0.390 | 35.0 m |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:39.336 | +1.116 | 100.1 m |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:39.485 | +1.265 | 113.5 m |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:39.792 | +1.572 | 141.0 m |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:39.970 | +1.750 | 157.0 m |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:40.254 | +2.034 | 182.5 m |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:40.315 | +2.095 | 188.0 m |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:40.353 | +2.133 | 191.4 m |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:40.366 | +2.146 | 192.5 m |
| 12 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:40.715 | +2.495 | 223.9 m |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:40.988 | +2.768 | 248.4 m |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:41.248 | +3.028 | 271.7 m |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:41.382 | +3.162 | 283.7 m |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:41.394 | +3.174 | 284.8 m |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:41.514 | +3.294 | 295.5 m |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:41.738 | +3.518 | 315.6 m |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:42.062 | +3.842 | 344.7 m |
| 20 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:42.284 | +4.064 | 364.6 m |
| 21 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:42.688 | +4.468 | 400.9 m |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:59.953 | +21.733 | 1949.9 m |
How big is the gap, really?
Max Verstappen set the race fastest lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:38.220. On the timesheet the field looks bunched into tenths, but at racing speed those tenths stretch out: from fastest lap to Valtteri Bottas the field covers 1949.9 m. Open the 3D visualizer to see it to scale, car by car.
Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 Race: your questions
- Who set the fastest lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) set the fastest lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 race with a 1:38.220 at Kuala Lumpur.
- What was the fastest lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- The fastest lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 race was a 1:38.220, set by Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) at Kuala Lumpur.
- How close was race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Max Verstappen beat Kimi Antonelli to fastest lap by 0.369s. At racing speed that margin is 33.1 m of track. Across the whole field, from fastest lap to Valtteri Bottas in P22, the spread is 21.733s or 1949.9 m.
- How far behind was Kimi Antonelli at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) had the 2nd-fastest lap in race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:38.589, 0.369s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 33.1 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) had the 3rd-fastest lap in race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:38.610, 0.390s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 35.0 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Charles Leclerc at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) had the 4th-fastest lap in race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:39.336, 1.116s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 100.1 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Oscar Piastri at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) had the 5th-fastest lap in race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:39.485, 1.265s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 113.5 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Isack Hadjar at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026?
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing) had the 6th-fastest lap in race at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:39.792, 1.572s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 141.0 m of track behind.
- How much is a tenth of a second in metres at Kuala Lumpur?
- On this lap a tenth of a second is worth roughly 9.0 m of track. That is why Kimi Antonelli's 0.369s at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 puts 33.1 m between the cars on the finish line.