Lewis Hamilton completed an impressive recovery to finish third at Sepang after Ferrari’s disastrous decision to start on slick tyres left the British driver at the back of the field and as much as a minute behind the race leader. The seven-time world champion eventually returned to the podium after an eventful race in which Ferrari recovered to finish third with Lewis Hamilton and fourth with Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton returns to the podium after Ferrari’s Sepang strategy error
Lewis Hamilton produced an excellent weekend overall, combining a strong qualifying performance on Saturday with a race spent fighting his way back through the field on Sunday. Ferrari made the costly decision to fit slick tyres at the start, only for intermediates to prove the better option, and Lewis Hamilton found himself near the back of the order during the opening stages with a deficit of around one minute to the leader.
The Briton refused to give up. By taking advantage of the Safety Car triggered by Valtteri Bottas without making a pit stop, Lewis Hamilton managed to bring his race back under control and began climbing through the field. He completed several overtakes, with the final move on Isack Hadjar allowing him to return to the podium for the first time since Silverstone on 5 July. The dramatic change in his running position can also be explored through the F1 Race Position & Progression Tracker.
Lewis Hamilton explains Ferrari’s slick tyre mistake
Speaking to Sky Italia, Lewis Hamilton reflected on Ferrari’s decision to begin the race on slick tyres and admitted that the conditions had already caused concern before the start.
“It was certainly painful. From my side, I went into the pit lane, looked at the asphalt and saw that it was still wet. I went to the pit wall, looked at the track and said: ‘But it’s still wet.’ The more the race was delayed, the more it should have dried, but instead there was a lot of spray on the track.”
Lewis Hamilton then revealed that Ferrari had expected Max Verstappen to make the same choice and switch to dry-weather tyres.
“We thought Max Verstappen would also fit the dry tyres. We thought it was the right choice, but it wasn’t. By the time we realised, it was too late. Keeping the car on the track was really difficult.”
Ferrari gets every decision right after the initial mistake
Despite the costly opening call, Lewis Hamilton praised Ferrari’s response throughout the remainder of the Grand Prix. The pit stops, their timing and the strategic decisions that followed allowed the team to recover from an extremely difficult position and ultimately secure a podium.
“The team then did a great job, including with the pit stops, and the mechanics did a fantastic job. After the initial mistake, we made all the right choices, from the pit stops to the timing. The strategy was good after that; we had to react. I was a minute behind and finished third, and I’m very grateful for that.” – the British driver concluded at the end of the Bahrain Grad Prix.
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