Verstappen, who started from pole position, won the race at the Sepang circuit ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.
It's a wonderful victory after the year we've had and the comeback we've made, says Verstappen in Viaplay's broadcast.
The race was delayed by more than an hour due to weather chaos and subsequent technical problems. Only after a software update had been carried out on the cars could the race start.
As the race got underway, Verstappen benefited from the Red Bull driver's choice of soft tyres, passing Antonelli early on and taking home his first win of the season.
Antonelli's second-place finish brings him closer to the world championship title with an 84-point lead over George Russell in the overall standings.
