Lewis Hamilton has given Ferrari some much-needed breathing room. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion produced a superb final Q3 lap to secure a front-row start for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, a result that had looked far from guaranteed before qualifying at Sepang.
Lewis Hamilton’s late surge partly disguised the SF-26’s deficit to its rivals, although pole-sitter Max Verstappen still finished almost three tenths clear — a significant margin at this level. The complete classification can be found in the 2026 Bahrain GP qualifying results from Sepang. Even so, second place gives Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari team an opportunity to breathe again and, perhaps, to contemplate a very different Sunday in which it can genuinely fight near the front and challenge for the podium.
What is certain is that the performance at Sepang restored confidence and determination for the 41-year-old British driver. After the chequered flag in Q3, Lewis Hamilton celebrated over team radio and allowed himself a liberating “finally” after a period that had been anything but straightforward.
Lewis Hamilton hails Ferrari after Bahrain GP qualifying
“This is a huge result for us,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky after the chequered flag in Q3. “And I don’t think anyone can even come close to understanding how difficult it is. It really is so difficult. There are so many people working together in this sport, trying to be in sync towards a goal that is almost always invisible and, when it is visible, it moves at the speed of light. That’s why it is so difficult to reach.”
“I really want to thank the people at the factory, because all that negativity affects them more than it affects us, because they are the ones who turn up at the office every day and have to give everything they have every day.”
The Ferrari driver was equally clear that one strong qualifying result does not mean the team’s wider work is complete.
“We’re not where we should be,” Lewis Hamilton added. “But we can’t blame them, considering all the huge effort they’re putting in. There are things we don’t even see, but there is definitely a tremendous amount of work going on at the factory to upgrade the power unit for next year, and there is already an improvement compared with last year.”
“Last year we weren’t fighting for the front row, we weren’t fighting for victories… We have to keep trying to work as much as possible.”
Lewis Hamilton identifies the SF-26 chassis as Ferrari’s key strength
Lewis Hamilton also highlighted what he believes could become one of the decisive elements of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang: the balance between Ferrari’s cornering performance and its straight-line deficit.
“I think the situation is that our car has a great chassis. In particular, we have a great chassis. We also have a good engine, but the chassis is our strength. Our aerodynamic package is very good, so we tend to be a little faster through the corners, while then we lose on the straights,” Lewis Hamilton concluded.
That contrast will be particularly important around Sepang, where the SF-26’s performance through the corners has to compensate for what Ferrari gives away on the faster sections. The relative gains and losses from qualifying can also be explored through the ScuderiaFans F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison.
For Ferrari, the front-row result therefore represents more than an isolated highlight. Lewis Hamilton’s final Q3 lap has put the team in a far stronger position for the Grand Prix and provided a timely boost after a difficult period, even if the gap to Max Verstappen shows that Ferrari still has work to do.
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