Lewis Hamilton made a smart call during the Bahrain GP, one of the best moments in his Ferrari career, as a key switch was revealed.
Lewis Hamilton earned his sixth podium of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix—and it was his own choice that helped make it happen. The seven-time champ fought back from being as low as 18th early on to finish third. He was one of several drivers on dry tyres after the race restarted following a red flag. Max Verstappen took the win, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli coming in second.
At the Sepang circuit, which usually encourages a lot of passing, Hamilton quickly moved up the field in a way we don’t often see since the 2026 rules came in. Ferrari’s team boss, Frederic Vasseur, said Hamilton’s podium wasn’t just about his driving skills.
One key reason Hamilton moved through the pack was his decision to stay out on used soft tyres when the safety car came out after Valtteri Bottas retired on lap 9. At that moment, he was 83 seconds behind Verstappen, who was on intermediate tyres. It seemed like a bit of a gamble—Hamilton was 15th and would’ve dropped behind drivers like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc if he had pitted. Leclerc pitted early for intermediates after damaging his front wing and gave up on the dry tyre plan.
Normally, staying out on used tyres could backfire if they wore down, letting others on fresher tyres overtake. But this time, it worked perfectly. Hamilton used his warm but worn tyres to pass drivers without much trouble, while Norris and Leclerc got stuck in traffic.
Thanks to great tyre management, Hamilton stretched his first stint just like the others and pitted on the same lap as Isaac Hadjar, who he was racing for fourth. Then, during the final safety car restart, Hamilton passed Hadjar to move up to third. George Russell had retired earlier due to a power unit issue.
“We let him choose,” Vasseur told F1TV after the race about Hamilton’s decision to stay out. “In the car, when we say we’re ready, it just means he can pit if he thinks it’s the right call. He had a great race with smooth strategy and managed his tyres really well on that long stint.”
Overall, Hamilton’s weekend will be remembered by F1 fans, especially since he qualified second despite a speed disadvantage on Saturday. Ferrari’s pace was strong enough that, if everything had gone smoothly for both their drivers, Hamilton might have even challenged Verstappen for the win.
Hamilton called the result “bittersweet” but said, “After the race got going and I managed to keep it on track—which was really tough—I didn’t think I’d get back to third. So I’m very grateful and happy with that. We made a wrong call early on and I saw others pulling away. I thought the race was over for us. But I kept my head down, and the team did a fantastic job with pit stops and tyre changes while I kept chasing.”