Lewis Hamilton turned a race that appeared to be slipping completely out of his hands into one of his most memorable Ferrari recoveries at Sepang, climbing back from 18th place to finish third in the Bahrain Grand Prix and secure the 208th podium of his Formula 1 career. After qualifying on the front row, the seven-time world champion initially paid a heavy price for Ferrari’s risky tyre choice before his decision to stay out helped transform the afternoon.
A driver approaching 400 Formula 1 Grands Prix has experienced almost everything, but Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to forget the Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia. Almost everything happened during a chaotic Sunday at Sepang: a technical scare, torrential rain, a strategy gamble, a fall through the order and then a spectacular recovery that eventually carried the Ferrari driver onto the podium.
Lewis Hamilton shines in qualifying with a front-row start
Ferrari had lost some momentum after the summer break, while Lewis Hamilton had struggled to produce consistently strong performances. There had been too many controversies, too many rumours and an inconsistent feeling with the car.
In Malaysia, however, the old Lewis Hamilton suddenly seemed to return. His qualifying lap was exceptional, earning him second place on the grid at a circuit where driver confidence and precision are heavily rewarded. Lewis Hamilton was visibly pleased after qualifying and even shared smiles with Max Verstappen. Expectations for the race were therefore significant, with a podium appearing to be a realistic target.
Formation-lap problem adds to the Sepang chaos
Then the rain arrived. A torrential downpour hit Sepang and the start was postponed as tension continued to build. When the drivers eventually returned to their cars for a double formation lap, Lewis Hamilton reported a problem with the accelerator.
The Ferrari driver asked the team what he should do and feared that his race could be over before it had properly started. The SF-26 stopped, but a reset worked and the car was able to move again. It was another complication during an already extraordinary starting procedure, with the problems surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s car forming part of the technical disruption that suspended the Sepang start.
There was then another lengthy stoppage for the entire field. When proceedings finally resumed, Ferrari decided to take an enormous risk by fitting both cars with red-walled Soft slick tyres. After two laps behind the Safety Car, it was already becoming clear just how difficult that gamble could become.
Ferrari tyre gamble sends Lewis Hamilton down to 18th
The fears were quickly confirmed. Lewis Hamilton had started from the front row, but after the opening corner he was already down in tenth place. He then continued sliding backwards until he found himself in a miserable 18th position, with almost the entire field ahead of him.
Charles Leclerc was forced to pit because of front-wing damage and switched to Intermediate tyres, eventually passing his teammate as well. Ferrari’s decision to use slicks on the wet Sepang circuit had turned the opening phase of the race into a major setback, with the full sequence of the Ferrari slick-tyre gamble in Malaysia leaving both drivers in serious difficulty.
Lewis Hamilton refuses to pit: “We made a gamble”
Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer Carlo Santi then asked whether he also wanted to return to the pits, with the race seemingly already compromised.
“If you’re happy with that, we can try a gamble,” Carlo Santi told him.
Lewis Hamilton, responding with the confidence of a vastly experienced racing driver, chose the opposite course.
“I want to stay out, we made a gamble,” Lewis Hamilton replied.
It proved to be a crucial decision. What initially looked like stubbornness soon began to look like foresight.
Lewis Hamilton charges from 18th to third at Sepang
Valtteri Bottas went off the circuit and triggered a Safety Car. Lewis Hamilton kept his Soft tyres and began an extraordinary recovery drive. Lap after lap, he rediscovered the rhythm associated with some of his finest Formula 1 performances, carving his way through the field with a succession of overtakes.
Lewis Hamilton climbed from 18th to sixth, producing several notable moves along the way, including his pass on Oscar Piastri. He then began closing on Isack Hadjar, reducing a gap of around 12 seconds. The Ferrari pit stop did not initially help him, however, with the yellow-walled Medium tyre failing to deliver the performance he wanted.
The scale of Lewis Hamilton’s recovery can be followed through the ScuderiaFans F1 Race Position & Progression Tracker, which shows how dramatically running order can evolve during a chaotic Grand Prix.
Another Safety Car eventually brought the leading group back towards the pits. This time Ferrari had another set of Soft tyres available and Lewis Hamilton was able to attack again. The pass on Isack Hadjar came comfortably once racing resumed.
George Russell then retired, opening the door to the podium. Lewis Hamilton took full advantage, finishing third to claim his sixth podium of the season and the 208th of his Formula 1 career.
Lewis Hamilton had won his gamble in Malaysia. After falling all the way to 18th, the Ferrari driver fought back to share the podium with Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, whose position in the World Championship was strengthened further by another major result at Sepang.
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