Kimi Antonelli believes Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable recovery at Sepang highlighted the resilience that has helped the seven-time world champion make Formula 1 history. The Ferrari driver fell from the front row to 17th place during a disastrous opening phase of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, yet still recovered to secure the final podium position.
Hamilton’s afternoon had already been complicated before the race properly began. A software problem brought him to a halt during the formation lap, before Ferrari’s decision to start on slick tyres in wet conditions left him around one minute and 20 seconds behind the leader at one stage.
Kimi Antonelli impressed by Lewis Hamilton’s refusal to give up
A Safety Car eventually erased much of that deficit and gave Hamilton an opportunity to rebuild his race. From there, the British driver began working his way through the field car by car, with his progress culminating in a late pass on Isack Hadjar for third place.
The recovery was particularly striking because other drivers attempting to regain ground, including Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, found progress more difficult. Hamilton’s most serious resistance came when he reached Hadjar, who at one point asked his Red Bull pit wall how the Ferrari driver was able to maintain such strong pace.
The full sequence behind the comeback, including the strategic decisions that helped Hamilton return to the podium, is covered in our report on Lewis Hamilton’s recovery to third at Sepang.
Lewis Hamilton’s resilience stands out to Kimi Antonelli
After finishing second, Kimi Antonelli was asked in the post-race press conference what could be learned from Hamilton’s experience and his ability to keep fighting when circumstances turn against him.
The Mercedes driver explained that sharing the circuit with both Max Verstappen and Hamilton was special because of their influence on Formula 1 history. In Antonelli’s assessment, Hamilton has already played a defining role in shaping the sport’s record books, while Verstappen is continuing to build his own place in that history.
Antonelli also highlighted a quality he believes has been visible throughout Hamilton’s career. Even when a race or weekend develops badly, the Briton tends to remain focused and continue working towards the strongest possible result rather than allowing the setback to define the outcome.
Sepang provided a clear example. Hamilton had effectively lost most of the advantage of his front-row start after the software issue and Ferrari’s slick-tyre gamble, yet he was still able to turn the afternoon into one of his strongest performances since joining the Maranello team.
Lewis Hamilton extends all-time Formula 1 podium record
Hamilton ultimately believed an even bigger result had been available. He felt victory could have been possible had Ferrari started the race on Intermediate tyres, as Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen did, rather than committing to slicks while the circuit remained wet.
Despite that frustration, the comeback extended Lewis Hamilton’s all-time Formula 1 podium record to 208. He now has 53 more podium finishes than Michael Schumacher, while Max Verstappen sits a further 20 behind the German.
The result added another significant entry to Hamilton’s Ferrari campaign and reinforced why Antonelli regards his approach in difficult races as something worth learning from. More news and analysis from the seven-time world champion’s season can be found in the dedicated Lewis Hamilton Ferrari section.
For the Italian, the lesson from Malaysia went beyond the final position. The Ferrari man had dropped almost to the rear of the field after an opening phase that threatened to destroy his race, yet continued attacking until he reached the podium. That determination, in the young Mercedes driver’s view, is one of the characteristics that has accompanied Hamilton throughout a career that has already left a major mark on Formula 1.
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