At Sepang, Lewis Hamilton lost ground at the Bahrain Grand Prix before the field settled. The slick-tyre call left you to see a costly gap open across early laps. Storm delays and a safety car shaped a race that began under pressure.
A thunderstorm delayed the Sepang race by an hour and 40 minutes. Officials then suspended the start procedure after cars had faults on the first formation lap. Hamilton’s slick-tyre gamble became costly as most rivals chose intermediates on a damp track. Read about Hamilton’s first Ferrari laps for wider team context.
Hamilton’s Bahrain GP Start Faces Early Trouble
The first start procedure stalled after several cars faced faults on the formation lap. Hamilton was among them, and his Ferrari stopped on the main straight. A report on Hamilton’s first Ferrari laps gives wider team context. That pre-race disruption narrowed options before tyre calls mattered.
Most drivers chose intermediates once the track began to dry. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both took softs; Leclerc’s Ferrari setback report adds team context. Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso opted for mediums, while several others also chose softs. That soft-tyre choice set Hamilton apart, although enough grip and traction favored intermediates.
Slick Tyres Cost Hamilton Places
After two laps, the slick-tyre runners had dropped toward the rear. Fourteen cars on intermediates swept past the early slick group. Hamilton stood 18th after eight laps, far from the leading Mercedes. His early loss of grip showed track conditions mattered; see Hamilton on new rules.
Antonelli and Russell leapt ahead at the line, while Verstappen dropped behind both. Verstappen later passed Russell and ran second behind Antonelli. Leclerc pitted for intermediates, then passed Hamilton despite the pit-lane time loss. That intermediate pace changed Ferrari’s picture, as Leclerc’s gap to Hamilton came into focus.
Safety Car Cuts Hamilton’s Deficit
On lap nine, Valtteri Bottas spun his Cadillac into the gravel. The safety car gave most teams a chance to change tyres. At one point, Hamilton trailed Antonelli by 100 seconds. The safety-car interval closed the gap, while Hamilton’s Ferrari team story gives wider context.
Hamilton declined to pit and resumed 15th after the safety car. The intervention cut his deficit, but it could not restore lost ground. Leclerc’s earlier pace had shown how quickly the soft choice could unravel. That tyre choice shaped Hamilton’s race, as Hamilton’s season prospects faced another test.
