Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula One victory of the season at a chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia after heavy rain delayed the start by one hour and 40 minutes.

The Red Bull driver, who had taken pole position, led home Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli in second and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in third.

Verstappen was the last driver to win at Sepang in 2017, before the circuit was removed from the Formula One calendar. Sunday's result gave Red Bull a significant boost after a difficult start to the season.

The four-time world champion had a slow getaway on intermediate tyres from pole, allowing Antonelli and George Russell, the Mercedes pair, to pass him easily in the wet early conditions.

A safety car was deployed on lap nine after Valtteri Bottas spun into the gravel. Most drivers used the opportunity to switch to new slick tyres as the track dried rapidly.

When the safety car period ended, Verstappen swept past both Antonelli and Russell and quickly built a comfortable lead he would not relinquish.

George Russell was on course for a podium finish but was forced to retire from third place with five laps remaining when his power unit appeared to fail under a late safety car.

Hamilton had started from the front row on dry tyres and slid down the field in the wet opening conditions. The seven-time world champion recovered strongly as the surface dried, working his way back through the field to claim third place.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar in fifth.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated to Malaysia due to the United States-Israel war on Iran, which has caused disruptions to the international sports calendar.

Formula One moves on to Singapore next weekend for a night race and sprint event.