Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton qualified P2 at the Bahrain GP qualifying at Sepang International Circuit, with Max Verstappen taking the pole position. After the race, the Briton detailed the changes made to the Ferrari that helped him secure the front-row start.
Hamilton finished the three practice sessions in P5 & P6, with Ferrari looking like the third-best car at Sepang, marginally behind the Mercedes. However, going into qualifying, the Briton seemed to have found bits of pace in the SF26.
During the final run in Q3, while other drivers weren’t improving in the first two sectors, Hamilton set the purple second sector, and managed to set a lap time just three tenths shy of Verstappen’s pole position lap time.
Lewis Hamilton was ecstatic on the team radio after his race engineer confirmed that he qualified P2. During the post-qualifying interview, he detailed how Ferrari made multiple changes to the car between practice sessions to find the right balance amid the blistering temperature at the circuit.
Hamilton confirmed that one final change going into qualifying put the car in the right window, as he said,
“I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve seen here, at least in my time of driving. I love this energy, big big thank you to Malaysia for welcoming us! It’s really hot here. That’s made it really challenging for the tyres, for the cars, the mechanics in the garage, and I’m really, really thankful to my team.”
“We made so many changes through all these practice sessions. Because the cars are sliding and these tyres are overheating, it was really, really hard to find a good balance. We made one last change going into qualifying, and I think we hit the sweet spot. To be able to close the gap to two or three tenths to Max is great, and I’m so, so grateful,” added Hamilton
The Briton’s teammate Charles Leclerc qualified P5, but will start in P4 as Isack Hadjar faces a five-place grid drop.
Lewis Hamilton explains the biggest challenge going into the Bahrain GP race
During the practice sessions, the hot temperatures meant the teams experienced high degradation. More than the raw pace of the car, managing tires will be the biggest task for the drivers going into the main race.
Lewis Hamilton explained the same during the post-race interview, as he said,
“I’m much happier with where the car is. But tomorrow’s a completely different ball game. Making these tyres last around this track, they’re overheating from the get-go. Every wheel spin you have, every little snap you have, makes a difference of how far you’re gonna go, but I’d like to think we’ve got a good balance.”
The Bahrain GP is expected to be a multiple pitstop race, allowing the opportunities for drivers to opt for alternate strategies.
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