Ferrari made an intriguing strategic move on lap 29 of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang by bringing Charles Leclerc into the pits before Lewis Hamilton, despite the Monegasque running on Soft tyres that were 10 laps fresher than those of his teammate. The decision immediately raised the possibility that Ferrari was attempting to create an undercut opportunity against Oscar Piastri.
Charles Leclerc rejoined the race in 13th position after his stop. The timing was notable because, based purely on tyre age, Lewis Hamilton might have appeared the more obvious Ferrari to pit first. Instead, the Scuderia reversed that expectation and committed Charles Leclerc to the earlier stop.
Charles Leclerc pits despite fresher Soft tyres
At the moment Ferrari called Charles Leclerc in, his Soft tyres had completed 10 fewer laps than those fitted to Lewis Hamilton’s car. That made the stop stand out from a straightforward tyre-life perspective.
There was no confirmed explanation from Ferrari at that stage for why Charles Leclerc had been brought in first. What was clear was that the team did not appear to be waiting for an immediate change in conditions, because committing to the stop suggested Ferrari was comfortable continuing with a dry-race strategy at that point.
| Detail | Charles Leclerc |
|---|---|
| Pit stop lap | Lap 29 of 55 |
| Tyre age versus Lewis Hamilton | 10 laps fresher before stop |
| Position after pit stop | P13 |
| Possible strategic target | Oscar Piastri undercut |
Ferrari may have been targeting Oscar Piastri
The most obvious strategic interpretation was that Ferrari wanted to use Charles Leclerc’s fresh tyres to attack Oscar Piastri through an undercut. By stopping first, the Monegasque would have the opportunity to exploit the pace of the new tyre while the McLaren driver remained on track.
However, that remained an interpretation rather than a confirmed Ferrari instruction. No team radio or official explanation was provided in the available information to establish that Oscar Piastri was definitely the target.
The move nevertheless fitted the logic of an undercut attempt: sacrifice track position temporarily, generate a stronger out-lap on fresh tyres and potentially gain the position when the rival eventually makes a stop of their own.
Lewis Hamilton stays out as Ferrari splits its timing
Lewis Hamilton remaining on track created a clear difference between the two Ferrari strategies at that stage of the race. With the Briton carrying older Soft tyres, the decision to leave him out while stopping Charles Leclerc indicated that Ferrari was not simply ordering its stops according to tyre age.
That made the sequencing particularly interesting. Charles Leclerc’s P13 rejoin meant his strategy depended heavily on what happened around the cars he was trying to jump, while Lewis Hamilton continued his existing stint.
Whether the decision succeeded would depend on subsequent pit stops and the pace Charles Leclerc could produce on his new tyres. At the moment of the stop, however, Ferrari had clearly chosen an aggressive timing call for the Monegasque rather than waiting for his fresher Soft tyres to reach the same age as those on Lewis Hamilton’s car.
Ferrari strategy becomes a key Bahrain GP storyline
The lap-29 stop added another strategic dimension to Ferrari’s Bahrain GP at Sepang. Charles Leclerc had the tyre-age advantage over his teammate, yet the Scuderia chose to pit him first and send him back into traffic in 13th position.
If the objective was indeed to undercut Oscar Piastri, the decision showed Ferrari prioritising track-position opportunities over simply extending the fresher set of Soft tyres. Until the following pit-stop cycle played out, however, the exact gain from the move remained unresolved.
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