Ferrari escaped what was shaping up to be another damaging afternoon at Sepang thanks to a remarkable recovery from Lewis Hamilton and a strong fourth place from Charles Leclerc. An early strategy gamble left both drivers in serious trouble, but two safety-car periods, the pace of the SF-26 and the quality of the drivers’ recovery transformed the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia into one of Ferrari’s best team results in weeks.
It is difficult to imagine what Fred Vasseur must have been thinking when he watched one of his drivers, starting from the front row, lose around 30 seconds in only a handful of corners on dry tyres while the cars around him were still throwing huge amounts of water into the air. After all the criticism directed at the press, the calls for calm and the insistence that Ferrari needed to work without outside distractions, it was Ferrari’s own pit wall and strategists who appeared ready to throw the Grand Prix away with an extremely ambitious gamble.
Safety car gives Ferrari a second chance at Sepang
On a completely chaotic day, driven by the weather and much more besides, the racing gods did not turn their backs on Ferrari. The first safety car allowed Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who had fallen a long way behind, to close back up to the field. From that moment, both Ferrari drivers were able to rebuild their races.
Lewis Hamilton was inspired, spectacular and relentless in one of his finest performances since joining Ferrari. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion completed one overtake after another and climbed back to fifth place during an outstanding stint on the soft tyre. Charles Leclerc was less spectacular but remained solid and consistent, following a few positions behind while also recovering into a much more competitive part of the order after the shocking opening phase.
Lewis Hamilton reaches the podium as Charles Leclerc takes fourth
A second safety car late in the race, combined with George Russell’s retirement, gave Lewis Hamilton the opportunity to finally clear Isack Hadjar after spending a long period behind him, while Charles Leclerc did the same. The outcome was a superb podium for Lewis Hamilton and an excellent fourth place for Charles Leclerc, both of them recovering after being placed in a difficult position at the start.
The drivers’ execution, the race pace of the SF-26 and a degree of good fortune allowed Ferrari to secure an excellent team result. The comeback also offered some relief after an opening strategy decision that will inevitably remain part of the discussion around Ferrari’s pit-stop and strategy performance.
There is still a strong sense of regret. After five difficult Grands Prix, some of them deeply disappointing, a month of expectations that repeatedly failed to materialise and weeks of internal controversy, tension and rumours of varying credibility, Ferrari appeared to have the race pace at Sepang to finish at least second and perhaps even challenge Max Verstappen for victory. It would have been difficult, but not impossible.
A result that gives Fred Vasseur breathing room
What will be remembered from this Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang is Lewis Hamilton’s outstanding race and Charles Leclerc’s excellent performance. Together, the two Ferrari drivers effectively “saved” Fred Vasseur. Had the initial strategy choice ended Ferrari’s race altogether, the reaction would have been fierce, particularly amid the continuing debate over Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari future.
A poor result after Ferrari’s attempt to close ranks, project unity and show complete confidence in the current management would have unleashed another storm over Maranello, comparable to the monsoon that hit Sepang.
The drivers’ long faces in recent weeks, Lewis Hamilton’s pointed remarks about internal management, tension between the drivers, development steps that have not transformed the competitive picture, Charles Leclerc’s repeated observation that rival teams have improved more, and the ADUO 2 introduced for Monza without changing the power-unit balance of performance are all objective elements. So too is Christian Horner putting himself forward. Together, those issues have helped fuel the wider debate around Ferrari’s communication and leadership situation.
Yet in recent days, Ferrari has been described as more united and happier than ever. Fred Vasseur even sheltered behind a press release “that had to be issued to restore calm to the team”. In the view of this writer, professionals of the calibre of those working at Maranello should not be distracted by a few newspaper articles. That, however, is purely a personal opinion.
The objective fact is that a regrouped and apparently united Ferrari, with senior management and the drivers expressing maximum confidence in the current leadership, left Sepang with an excellent result and returned to the podium after a long absence. And what a podium it was. The hope now is that the skies over Maranello really have cleared and that the storms are finally over. Ferrari should still keep an eye on the asphalt, though: when it is wet, the right tyres remain preferable, regardless of newspaper stories or rumours.
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