Ferrari enjoyed a strong qualifying session at Sepang, with Lewis Hamilton securing second place and a front-row start alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, although the Monegasque will move onto the second row because of the engine penalty that Isack Hadjar must serve.
Lewis Hamilton finished 0.298 seconds away from pole position, while Charles Leclerc ended qualifying 0.536 seconds from the benchmark. The contrasting Ferrari team radio messages after the session reflected how differently the two drivers experienced the decisive stages of qualifying.
The result continues an encouraging Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at Sepang for the Scuderia, where tyre behaviour has been one of the central themes. The characteristics of the compounds and their potential suitability for the SF-26 were already an important consideration in Ferrari’s approach to the Sepang tyre challenge.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates Ferrari front-row result
Immediately after completing his final qualifying lap, Lewis Hamilton asked his race engineer where Ferrari had finished.
Lewis Hamilton: “Where are we?”
Carlo Santi: “Great lap, we’re P2. Well done!”
The confirmation triggered an emotional response from Lewis Hamilton, who shouted:
Lewis Hamilton: “Come on, guys! Finally!”
The seven-time world champion then praised Ferrari’s execution throughout the session, highlighting both the timing of the runs and the performance of the car. He also asked the team to inspect the floor after running slightly wide at Turn 11.
Lewis Hamilton: “Really great job in this session, perfect timing, the car was great. Check the floor, I ran a little wide at Turn 11.”
Carlo Santi: “We will.”
The P2 result gives Lewis Hamilton a front-row starting position for the race and adds another important chapter to his season-long battle with Charles Leclerc. Their qualifying and race results can be followed through the Charles Leclerc vs Lewis Hamilton F1 head-to-head statistics.
Charles Leclerc reports loss of rear grip
Charles Leclerc’s post-qualifying radio carried a very different tone. Race engineer Bryan Bozzi informed the Ferrari driver that he had finished fifth.
Bryan Bozzi: “And P5.”
Charles Leclerc explained that he had lost significant performance from the rear of the car over his final laps and had been unable to recover the level of grip he had experienced earlier in the session.
Charles Leclerc: “Yes, I lost a lot of performance at the rear on these last laps. I never had the grip I had before.”
Despite qualifying fifth, the penalty for Isack Hadjar means Charles Leclerc is set to move up one place on the starting grid and begin the Bahrain Grand Prix from the second row. Ferrari therefore heads into the race with both cars inside the first two rows, giving the team a strong starting position at a circuit where tyre management and degradation could play an important role.
The complete weekend timetable and event information can be found in the 2026 Bahrain GP at Sepang schedule and circuit guide.
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