Lewis Hamilton will line up on the front row for Sunday’s Bahrain GP in Malaysia after a last-minute set-up change unlocked hidden pace in his Ferrari SF-26.
The seven-time World Champion secured second on the grid at the Sepang International Circuit. He finished just three-tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen.
The result marks a dramatic turnaround for Ferrari. They spent much of the practice sessions searching for an elusive handling balance in the brutal heat.
Extreme track temperatures made tyre preservation a central challenge across Friday and Saturday. This caused significant sliding and thermal degradation across the field.
“It’s so hot here. I keep saying it, but that’s made it a massive challenge for the tyres, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage, and I’m really, really thankful to my team,” Hamilton said after the session.
“We made so many changes through all these practice sessions, and because the cars are sliding, and these tyres are overheating, it was really, really hard to find a good balance.”
Hitting the sweet spot for the Bahrain GP
With tyre wear proving critical, the Scuderia made one final balance adjustment prior to qualifying.
The setup tweak immediately paid off. Hamilton placed on the front row alongside Verstappen for the first time since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
“We made one last change going into qualifying, and I think we hit the sweet spot,” Hamilton added.
“So to be able to close the gap to two or three tenths to Max, who’s been so quick all weekend, is great. I’m so, so grateful.”
The front-row start puts Ferrari in strong contention for Sunday’s race, where high degradation and strategic flexibility are expected to dictate the outcome.
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