Ferrari ultimately escaped the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang with third and fourth place, but the final result concealed just how difficult the race became after its opening tyre gamble. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both fell outside the top 10 after starting on slicks, before strong drives, strategic decisions and two Safety Car periods brought the Scuderia back into contention.
The unusual race conditions were shaped by the lengthy delay before the start. Crucially, the power-unit problem that interrupted proceedings was not caused directly by water. Instead, the software froze because the cars were travelling at extremely low speeds, with those low speeds themselves caused by the torrential rain.
Why the delayed start transformed the Bahrain GP strategy at Sepang
The race had originally been scheduled to start at 15:00 local time in Malaysia, before intense rain pushed proceedings back to 15:40. The cars initially headed out on Intermediate tyres, but software problems affecting the power units led race control to stop the action with a red flag.
Updating the software required more time, and the FIA eventually identified 16:35 as an opportunity to restart. By then, however, rain had not fallen continuously for more than half an hour. Combined with Sepang’s strong drainage characteristics, that encouraged several teams to consider slick tyres for the eventual start.
That changing picture explains why the grid was divided so widely on tyre choice. Ferrari was among the teams prepared to gamble on slicks, despite the amount of rain that had fallen earlier. The background to the compounds available for the weekend can be found in our analysis of Pirelli’s Sepang tyre selection and the Ferrari SF-26.
Intermediate start proves the strongest opening strategy
The most effective approach was ultimately to begin on Intermediate tyres before moving onto slicks. Max Verstappen followed that route, with the Soft compound becoming his main dry-weather tyre during the race.
Most drivers completed three pit stops, with two of the main opportunities arriving under Safety Car conditions. The first neutralisation came on lap nine following Valtteri Bottas’ retirement, while another occurred between laps 43 and 45 after Alexander Albon stopped.
Lewis Hamilton took a different route. The seven-time world champion was the only driver to finish on a two-stop strategy after choosing not to pit during the first Safety Car period. That decision became one of the most important moments in his recovery.
Hamilton also completed 31 laps on the C4 Soft, the longest stint of the race on that compound. Track temperatures of between 33 and 38°C helped make such an extended run possible, reducing the thermal demands compared with the warmer conditions seen earlier in the weekend.
Safety Cars help Ferrari recover from difficult slick start
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc initially paid heavily for Ferrari’s decision to start on slick tyres. Both dropped outside the top 10 and appeared to be facing an extremely difficult afternoon before the race began moving back towards them.
Hamilton’s decision to stay out during the first Safety Car proved particularly effective. By avoiding that stop, the Briton recovered track position and placed himself back into contention for the top five.
Leclerc followed a different path. Ferrari switched him onto Intermediate tyres after three laps, and the compound was the quickest option at that stage. The Monegasque was even able to pass his team-mate during the early phase of the race.
The first Safety Car then forced Charles Leclerc to pit, costing him track position to Hamilton. From there, however, his race remained clean and effective, eventually carrying him to fourth place directly behind the other Ferrari.
The final Safety Car was even more important. Alexander Albon initially triggered a Virtual Safety Car when his Williams stopped with a gearbox problem. Had the car been removable under VSC conditions, the finishing order could have looked very different.
Instead, race control had to deploy the full Safety Car. The field closed up, allowing Hamilton and Leclerc to reach Isack Hadjar and overtake him during the closing stages.
Why third and fourth were Ferrari’s maximum result
Although the opening strategy forced Ferrari into a far more complicated race than necessary, the final positions were considered the maximum realistically available. Verstappen opened a gap of almost five seconds over Hamilton in only five laps after the last restart, underlining the performance difference at the front.
For that reason, beginning the race on Intermediate tyres was not expected to have changed Ferrari’s eventual result. It would simply have made the route to third and fourth considerably more straightforward.
The drivers therefore deserve much of the credit for recovering from the initial setback. Hamilton’s decision to avoid the first Safety Car stop and manage an exceptionally long Soft stint proved crucial, while Leclerc recovered effectively after Ferrari corrected his opening tyre choice. More coverage of both drivers is available through our dedicated Charles Leclerc section.
Other drivers also benefited from the final neutralisation. Fernando Alonso finished eighth and would probably have been only 10th without the last Safety Car after being overtaken by Nico Hülkenberg. The Audi driver was perhaps the clearest example of someone who gained little from the late intervention despite producing a strong race.
Pirelli explains why the Soft tyre lasted so long at Sepang
Pirelli Motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi assessed the first meaningful use of the Intermediate tyre positively. As the circuit dried towards the end, some light graining appeared on the wet-weather tyres, although the highly abrasive asphalt did not create significant wear concerns.
Marrafuschi also explained that temperatures were considerably lower than during the preceding days. The damp circuit helped control tyre temperatures and reduced thermal degradation, making the C4 Soft especially competitive and capable of running unusually long stints.
Some drivers were therefore able to complete close to half the race on the softest compound. The Safety Car periods also encouraged many teams to select the C4 for the closing stages, while the C2 Hard and C3 Medium behaved consistently and predictably but offered less grip than the Soft.
For further event context, including the circuit characteristics behind the unusual strategic picture, our 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang guide covers the Malaysian venue in detail.
Ferrari therefore left Sepang with the best positions it realistically appeared capable of achieving, but only after Hamilton and Leclerc had to undo much of the damage created at the start. The result was ultimately rescued by driver execution, tyre management and the timing of the race neutralisations rather than by an uncomplicated strategic plan.
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