A risky dry-tyre start, a lap-nine safety car and a last-lap defence against Lando Norris gave Aston Martin four points and Alonso his third scoring finish of the season.
Fernando Alonso converted a chaotic, rain-affected Bahrain Grand Prix into Aston Martin’s best result of a troubled season on 4 October 2026.
He finished eighth at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where the race was staged in place of Bahrain. Alonso resisted a last-lap lunge from Lando Norris to secure four championship points. Max Verstappen won the race.
Verstappen Wins a Wet-to-Dry Classic
Verstappen took his first victory of the 2026 season from pole position and also set the fastest lap on the final tour. Kimi Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton recovered strongly to third for Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc was fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in fifth and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in sixth. Liam Lawson took seventh for Racing Bulls, with team-mate Arvid Lindblad tenth.
Max Verstappen Wins 2026 Bahrain GP at Sepang, Ends Drought
The race began in wet conditions, dried quickly and was shaped by two safety car periods. The result was a reshuffled field in which strategy and timing mattered as much as outright pace.
Russell’s Retirement Reshapes the Title Fight
The most significant championship development came late. George Russell retired from a podium position with a power unit issue, a blow that widened his deficit in the drivers’ standings to 84 points. Antonelli’s second place made him the main beneficiary of the afternoon.
A Gamble That Cost Places Early
Alonso’s afternoon began badly. Aston Martin chose to start him on dry tyres while the track was still wet, and he and the other dry-tyre starters dropped back sharply. A safety car on lap nine changed the picture, bringing the field together and lifting Alonso to eighth.
That position was then tested. Norris, who had been sent down to eleventh after going off at turn one, restarted in eleventh with four laps remaining. He passed Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg to reach ninth with three laps to go, then closed on Alonso’s Aston Martin.
The Final Laps
Alonso kept enough traction out of turn two to stay ahead. Norris made a final attempt into turn 15 on the last lap, but Alonso closed the inside line and held position to the chequered flag. He crossed the line 13.372 seconds behind the winner, with Norris less than a second behind him in ninth.
Mercedes Upgrade Fails at Sepang 2026: Wolff on Qualifying Struggle
His team-mate Lance Stroll finished twelfth, so both Aston Martins ran in the midfield and the team had its strongest weekend of the year.
Alonso: “A Well Executed Race”
Speaking after the race, Alonso said it had been a well-executed afternoon and that he was happy for the team. His satisfaction was measured, which has been his tone all weekend.
After qualifying twelfth, the first time both Aston Martins had progressed from Q1 this season, he described it as without a doubt the team’s best weekend in terms of car performance.
He was also candid that the improvement did not come from new parts. The car, he explained, is unchanged from the last four races, since Budapest.
In his view, the result shows that the car’s competitiveness depends on circuit layout and the number of straights, and that the team must seize opportunities when a track suits it.
What the Result Means in Numbers
The eighth-place finish was Alonso’s third points-scoring result of 2026, following his tenth at Monaco in June, which was Aston Martin’s first point of the year after a penalty to Cadillac’s Sergio Perez promoted him.
Verstappen Pole at Sepang as Hamilton Joins Him on Front Row
The four points from Sepang more than doubled the team’s tally and lifted Alonso to seventeenth in the drivers’ championship on seven points, ahead of both Williams drivers. Aston Martin remain tenth in the constructors’ standings.
The Honda Question
The result arrives against a difficult technical backdrop. Aston Martin ended its long Mercedes customer relationship to become a works Honda team under the 2026 regulations.
Honda’s first-year power unit has been underpowered, overweight and unreliable, and it qualified for the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities mechanism, known as ADUO, which gives struggling manufacturers extra development and cost-cap headroom.
In September, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said publicly that ADUO was designed as a catch-up mechanism, that it had been unlocked for Honda and that Honda needs more. He described the FIA president’s recent conversation with Alonso as fair and said the sport wants all major manufacturers to be competitive.
Wolff also pointed out that the rules were adjusted earlier this year to help those furthest behind, and said he expects the teams to discuss the regulations again. His remarks concerned the regulatory process rather than any direct supply of Mercedes hardware, and no specific changes have been announced.
A Drive Built on Craft, Not a Breakthrough
Sepang should be read for what it was. Alonso’s eighth place came from a recovery drive, safety car timing and a disciplined defence in the closing laps, rather than from a step change in the underlying car.
F1 2026 Finale: Qatar and Abu Dhabi Set to Close Season
Aston Martin has a strong weekend to point to, but the structural gap to the front will not close without progress from Honda and any support the regulations provide.
For Alonso, who has been weighing his future with the team, the afternoon was a reminder of his racecraft. For Aston Martin, it was a rare return on a difficult season.
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