Max Verstappen faced a challenging start to the Sepang race, but he ultimately achieved a historic victory for the Red Bull-Ford team. Starting from pole position, Verstappen encountered a sudden loss of power when he released the clutch, allowing Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to overtake him in the first corner. The power issue was linked to Verstappen's decision to use intermediate tires after a long rain delay, a choice he believed was correct but which prevented him from capitalizing on his starting position. Verstappen admitted his start was poor, explaining that his engine "completely turned off" when he released the clutch. Instead of immediately trying to recover lost positions, he decided to stay calm and focus on finding his rhythm. This strategy paid off when a crash involving Valtteri Bottas brought out the safety car. Red Bull instructed Verstappen to switch to soft tires, while Mercedes opted for medium tires for Antonelli. This strategic difference proved crucial at the restart, allowing Verstappen to overtake Antonelli in the first corner and reclaim the lead. Verstappen maintained his lead, creating a gap large enough to avoid issues with the degradation of his soft tires. A later safety car deployment did not disrupt his position, and he finished 2.307 seconds ahead of Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium. This victory marks a significant milestone for Red Bull, as it is the first success achieved with the power unit developed internally in Milton Keynes with Ford. For Verstappen, the win symbolizes the team's recovery after a difficult start to the season. He noted, "It's very special for us. We had a very complicated and difficult start to the year, with all sorts of problems. We were simply not competitive enough." Red Bull continued to develop its car and search for performance improvements, and the progress made over the months allowed the team to close the gap with Mercedes. Verstappen believes the Sepang weekend is the clearest confirmation of these improvements, noting that Red Bull demonstrated competitiveness from the tests, securing pole position and victory despite a particularly eventful race. After fifteen Grand Prix without a win this season, Red Bull-Ford finally achieved its first success with its own power unit, marking a significant milestone for the team.