Lewis Hamilton’s claim that Ferrari was losing heavily to Max Verstappen on Sepang’s straights was backed up by a revealing ghost-car comparison after Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying. Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard concluded that the SF-26 appeared extremely strong mechanically, but Red Bull’s combination of power unit performance and aerodynamic efficiency gave Max Verstappen an advantage that Hamilton simply could not overcome in the full-throttle sections.
The contrast did not prevent Lewis Hamilton from producing one of his strongest weekends for Ferrari. He qualified on the front row for the first time since Barcelona, finishing just under three tenths behind Max Verstappen, before recovering to the podium on Sunday after the Scuderia’s unsuccessful slick-tyre gamble initially dropped him towards the rear of the field.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari deficit becomes clear in ghost-car footage
After qualifying, Lewis Hamilton estimated that Ferrari was losing around three to four tenths of a second to Red Bull on the straights. The seven-time world champion explained that this was essentially the only area where the SF-26 was giving away significant time, leaving the team to maximise its performance through the corners instead.
The ghost-car comparison between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen provided a particularly clear illustration. Analysing the footage, David Coulthard felt the Ferrari chassis was working extremely well, especially from a mechanical perspective, but the Red Bull was able to recover significant lap time once the cars reached the straights.
Coulthard attributed that difference to a combination of Red Bull’s power unit performance and lower aerodynamic resistance. He also believed the rival car looked competitive with Ferrari through the higher-speed corners, where its aerodynamic platform appeared particularly effective.
David Coulthard sees major low-speed strength in Ferrari SF-26
The comparison was far more encouraging for Ferrari in slower sections of the lap. David Coulthard suggested that, mechanically, the Maranello team may have extracted more from its car at lower speeds and could even possess the strongest package in that specific area.
The decisive difference appeared on the run down the back straight towards Turn 15. That was where Coulthard believed Max Verstappen effectively secured pole position, because Lewis Hamilton did not have the straight-line performance required to respond.
That assessment explains why the qualifying gap could remain relatively small despite such a visible speed difference. Ferrari was recovering time where chassis behaviour and mechanical grip mattered, while Red Bull could take it back when power delivery and aerodynamic efficiency became decisive.
Anthony Davidson points to Ferrari battery deployment loss
Anthony Davidson reached a similar conclusion when analysing the same comparison. The former Formula 1 driver highlighted battery deployment as part of Ferrari’s disadvantage, with Max Verstappen’s ghost visibly pulling away from the SF-26 as the two cars accelerated towards the final corner.
For Davidson, the footage supported Lewis Hamilton’s assessment that the Ferrari was simply not fast enough on the straights. The difference was not hidden within a complicated sequence of corners: it became visually obvious as soon as both cars reached sustained full throttle.
The limitation was especially significant because Hamilton had otherwise put together a highly competitive qualifying performance. Being less than three tenths from pole despite the straight-line loss underlined how effectively the Ferrari was performing elsewhere around Sepang.
Lewis Hamilton still encouraged by Ferrari’s fundamental potential
Sunday then added another layer to the picture. Ferrari’s decision to start on slick tyres in difficult conditions sent Lewis Hamilton towards the back during the opening laps, but a Safety Car brought him back into contention. He subsequently produced a strong recovery and completed the drive with a late overtake on Isack Hadjar to secure third place in the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang.
Despite the power disadvantage, Lewis Hamilton remained highly positive about the underlying car after the race. He regarded Ferrari as having a fundamentally strong package and praised the work of the innovators at Maranello. At the same time, he acknowledged that the team would have to manage its existing power deficit for the remainder of the season.
That leaves Ferrari with a distinctive performance picture. The SF-26 appears capable of recovering significant lap time through its chassis performance, particularly in slower sections, while its weakness becomes much harder to conceal on long acceleration zones. At Sepang, the difference was sufficiently large for both David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson to identify the same problem from the ghost-car footage.
For Ferrari, the encouraging part is that the Bahrain Grand Prix still ended with Lewis Hamilton on the podium despite the strategic setback and straight-line deficit. The challenge is that the comparison with Max Verstappen showed just how much work the SF-26 had to do in the corners simply to compensate for time being surrendered every time the cars reached the straights.
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