As RaceFans reports, Lewis Hamilton believes a premature gamble on slick tyres cost him a genuine shot at victory at Sepang. The Ferrari driver secured a front-row start alongside Max Verstappen after a stellar qualifying session, leaving him convinced that Sunday offered a real opportunity to fight at the front. Hamilton noted that he and his engineers spent until 11:30 the previous night reviewing every detail to prepare for the battle.
Chaos struck before the lights even went out. Rain delayed the original start, and a subsequent software issue on the formation lap caused multiple cars, including Hamilton and Verstappen, to crawl to a halt. Hamilton explained that his power failed, forcing him to stop on-track, restart the machine, and regroup in the pit lane before everyone thankfully reclaimed their grid spots.
By the time race control readied the field, the track had dried considerably despite remaining damp, prompting Hamilton and the team to roll the dice on slick tyres. Hamilton recalled inspecting the wet ground in the pit lane and debating the conditions, but the garage ultimately opted for softs, believing the drying track had reached the crossover point. The moment of realization hit instantly when rivals peeled off their tyre blankets on intermediates at the end of the pit lane, leaving Hamilton to admit, "we were in trouble."
With the circuit taking far too long to dry, the intermediate runners checked out while Hamilton plummeted down the order. Once everyone else started diving into the pits as they overtook him, he urged the crew to leave him out, reasoning that losing another 26 seconds on top of a deficit stretching over a minute made little sense. Instead, he chose to wait for the circuit to come to him.
Progress finally materialized once a Safety Car brought him back into contention, aided by strong pit stops and solid strategy from the garage. Hamilton admitted he never expected to salvage a podium from that position, leaving him deeply grateful for the recovery. Looking ahead, he plans to have an open, constructive dialogue with the team about the tyre call, eager to take the positive performance of the car and return fighting next week.
