Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari had the potential to fight for victory at Sepang before its decision to start on slick tyres on a wet track sent both cars backwards. The seven-time world champion eventually recovered to third place, but the podium felt simultaneously like a success and a missed opportunity after the SF-26 had shown enough performance to challenge near the front.
For Lewis Hamilton in particular, Ferrari appeared capable of at least joining the fight with Mercedes. Speaking in the post-race press conference at Sepang, the British driver explained what happened during the hectic moments before the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix and why he realised almost immediately that the team’s tyre choice had put him in serious trouble.
Lewis Hamilton realised Ferrari was in trouble when rivals chose intermediates
The chaotic start also included the Power Unit software problem that stopped several drivers during the formation lap, including Lewis Hamilton. Despite that complication, he stressed how competitive Ferrari had looked throughout the weekend after qualifying second.
“We were having a good weekend: the car was working really well in qualifying and it was fantastic to take second place. My engineers and I stayed here until 11:30 last night analysing everything; I really felt that today was the right opportunity to have at least a good fight with Max [Verstappen]. Then, obviously, the rain came and there was general panic when we lost power. In my case in particular, the power didn’t come back immediately: I had to stop on the track and restart the car. In the end, we all found ourselves in the pit lane.”
Ferrari had arrived at Sepang with expectations that the circuit and tyre allocation could potentially suit the SF-26 better than some previous venues, an issue explored in greater detail in our analysis of why Pirelli’s Sepang compounds could suit Ferrari.
During the stoppage, teams had to decide whether to switch to slick tyres on the assumption that the rain had stopped and Sepang’s heat would quickly dry the asphalt, or remain on intermediates. Lewis Hamilton recalled just how uncertain the situation was.
“Fortunately, we managed to get back to our positions, but then there was a long wait while we discussed which tyre to fit. I said: ‘Look, there was a lot of spray during the laps to the grid’. I entered the pit lane, looked at the asphalt and thought: ‘It’s still wet’. I went to the pit wall and said: ‘It’s still wet’. They were replying: ‘Yes, but because so much time has passed, it will definitely dry quickly; perhaps we’re already in the crossover phase’.”
“Anyway, as a team we decided to fit the Soft tyres; but when we were at the end of the pit lane and I saw that the others had removed the tyre blankets and fitted intermediates, I knew we were in trouble. When we went out, I saw all the spray coming off the back of Max’s car and I said to myself: ‘OK, I’m finished. My race is compromised’.”
Ferrari’s slick gamble sends Lewis Hamilton backwards
The choice proved costly immediately. During the opening laps, Lewis Hamilton dropped steadily through the order as every driver on intermediates was able to pass him, including some who had initially started on slick tyres before quickly abandoning them.
Despite the losses, the British driver ultimately decided against pitting for intermediates and instead waited for the circuit to dry. The calculation was straightforward: another stop would have added roughly 26 seconds to a race in which he had already lost around one minute and 40 seconds.
“We had to hang on: we had made a decision and we had to stick with it. While everyone was overtaking me, I thought: ‘Let’s stop’, but I knew we would lose another 26 seconds. What difference did that make compared with the minute and 40 seconds or so that I had already lost? So I told myself: ‘Let’s wait for the track to dry’.”
“And once it dried, it was nice to see that I was gaining ground on the others. The car was great at that point. The guys in the pits did some excellent pit stops and the strategy was great. I never imagined I would get back onto the podium, but obviously I’m really grateful that we managed it.”
The race underlined how quickly tyre decisions and pit-stop timing can reshape a Grand Prix. Ferrari’s broader strategic performance can be followed through the ScuderiaFans Ferrari Pit Stop & Strategy Statistics.
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari could have fought Max Verstappen for victory
The frustration was heightened by the underlying performance of the SF-26. Lewis Hamilton felt the car had been strong enough to give him an opportunity to challenge Max Verstappen, making the early tyre decision particularly costly in terms of what might have been possible.
Charles Leclerc also stressed that Ferrari must learn from teams such as Red Bull when dealing with such complicated situations. The Monegasque driver’s season and latest Ferrari developments can be followed through our dedicated Charles Leclerc coverage.
Lewis Hamilton, however, avoided publicly criticising Ferrari and instead presented the Sepang experience as something the team could use constructively.
“We will definitely have an open dialogue. I’m really proud of my team. The mechanics every weekend, the work they do, the engineers who come with us to every race, the catering… everyone, absolutely everyone, gives their maximum. They put their heart into it.”
“There are certainly areas to improve, we are aware of that and we’re not trying to deny it. So I think we’ll have a constructive discussion, regroup, take the positives from this weekend, the car was really good, and we’ll return to the track ready to fight.”
That optimism is significant after a weekend in which Lewis Hamilton felt much more competitive in the SF-26. The British driver had already demonstrated the car’s potential by qualifying second, while the recovery to third showed how strong Ferrari could be once conditions allowed the car to perform properly. More coverage of his season is available in the dedicated Lewis Hamilton section.
Lewis Hamilton ultimately believes a much bigger result was available at Sepang had the opening phase unfolded differently.
“As I said, today there was an opportunity to try to fight Max for the win, but maybe we’ll be able to do that next week.”
Ferrari will therefore leave Sepang with two contrasting conclusions. The tyre decision cost valuable ground at the start, but the underlying performance of the SF-26 and Lewis Hamilton’s recovery offered genuine encouragement. The team now has an immediate opportunity to apply those lessons as the 2026 season continues, with the complete schedule available in the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
