Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026: Leclerc surges in Momentum as Mercedes stays 1–2 in the title race

Round 16 of the 2026 season at Sepang tightened several Measure rankings without changing the top three in the drivers’ championship. The standout swing came in the Momentum ranking, where Charles Leclerc vaulted into P3 while Mercedes pair George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli slid sharply.

By Camille Fontaine

What happened at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia (Oct 4) at Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur delivered a weekend of ranking swings across Measure’s tracking — even as the very top of the championship picture remained stable. Antonelli, Russell and Hamilton all stayed in the same championship positions after Round 16.

The biggest storyline in the wider rankings was a Momentum reshuffle: Charles Leclerc rocketed up to third, while George Russell dropped to 18th and Andrea Kimi Antonelli to 17th. Away from Momentum, Arvid Lindblad’s climb to P1 in Best average positions gained underlined how much movement Sepang can generate in performance trends.

For deeper reads beyond the championship table, Measure’s weekend round-up links out to the dedicated ranking pages — including Most positions gained (Liam Lawson taking over the season lead) and Best qualifying average (Antonelli edging Russell after Sepang).

Who leads the F1 2026 championship after the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?

After 16 rounds, Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) continues to lead the 2026 drivers’ championship on 320 points.

George Russell (Mercedes) remains second on 236, with Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) third on 214. The top three order is unchanged following Sepang.

Who were the biggest movers?

The largest shifts this weekend came in the Momentum ranking. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) jumped 18 places to P3 with a listed value of +2.23 — the most eye-catching rise in the dataset.

In the same ranking, Mercedes saw the biggest drops: George Russell fell 16 places to P18 (−1.18) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli dropped 13 to P17 (−0.87). Those swings, alongside the unchanged championship top three, highlight how short-term form can diverge from the season-long points picture.

Further upward moves included Liam Lawson (RB F1 Team) up 12 to P6 (+0.97) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) up 8 to P5 (+1.10) in Momentum. Separately, Arvid Lindblad (RB F1 Team) rose 7 places to take P1 in Best average positions gained (+3.71).

Before & after positions

In this article

• Championship ranking
• F1 drivers
• Best average positions gained
• Best qualifying average
• Biggest improvement vs qualifying
• Momentum ranking

Every ranking from this round

• Lindblad jumps to No.1 in Best average positions gained after Sepang’s 22nd-to-10th recovery
• Antonelli edges Russell for F1 2026’s Best qualifying average lead after Sepang
• Ocon takes over ‘Biggest improvement vs qualifying’ lead after Sepang as Pérez slips to second
• Verstappen still sets the pace in the Momentum ranking as Leclerc rockets to P3 after Sepang
• Antonelli’s 2.67 average keeps him atop the ‘Most consistent drivers’ ranking as Lawson breaks into the top 10
• Most overtakes: Hülkenberg wrestles the 2026 lead from Bortoleto after Sepang
• Lawson takes over F1 2026 ‘Most positions gained’ lead after Sepang climb
• Russell still tops F1 2026 ‘Most positions lost’ after Sepang swing from P7 to retirement
• Hamilton still sets the pace for 2026’s Most top-10 finishes as Leclerc climbs into the top three
• Antonelli still sets the benchmark for Points from outside the top 10 as Alonso fights into the top 10 at Sepang
• Verstappen still tops the Power ranking after Sepang as Gasly’s Alpine slide drives the biggest swing
• Alonso still tops the Teammate head-to-head (qualifying) as Hamilton surges into the top 10 at Sepang

The takeaway

Sepang leaves the championship hierarchy intact at the front — Antonelli still leads Russell and Hamilton — but the Momentum swings (especially Leclerc’s surge and the Mercedes drop-offs) suggest the form curve is shifting underneath the points table. With multiple Measure rankings also changing hands or tightening — from qualifying benchmarks to positions-gained metrics — Round 16 sets up an intriguing contrast between season consistency and short-term trajectory as the 2026 campaign moves on.