Why Verstappen's 'special' Malaysia win was so significant

Max Verstappen kept his streak of winning in every season since he joined Red Bull back in 2016 alive; after a difficult first half of the year, Red Bull have been on an upward trend so how important was his win on Sunday?

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Max Verstappen says his victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was a “really special and emotional moment” after Red Bull claimed their first win of 2026.

Verstappen was at his imperious best as he mastered the mixed conditions and Safety Car restarts to beat championship leader Kimi Antonelli and maintain his streak of winning at least one race every season since joining Red Bull in 2016.

Only two months ago, Verstappen's future was in the spotlight but he signed a new Red Bull contract during the summer break to stay with the team until at least the end of 2030, and Malaysia highlighted why the Dutchman had so much faith in the Milton Keynes squad.

Source: Sky Sports