Hamilton says start call was wrong after Sepang podium
Lewis Hamilton finished third at Sepang, 4.919 seconds behind Max Verstappen, and said the call at the start had been wrong. He recalled that the team chose soft tyres before the race and that he later waited for the track to dry.
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At the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at Sepang on 4 October, Lewis Hamilton finished third for Ferrari, 4.919 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. After the race, he said the call at the start had been wrong.
At the FIA post-race press conference, Hamilton recalled a long wait before the start during which the team debated tyres. He said he told the pit wall the track was still wet, but remembered being told it would dry quickly and that the crossover point might already be near. The team ultimately chose soft tyres, he said.
Hamilton recalled seeing a one-minute deficit on the screen and thinking the race was effectively over. After other cars passed him, he chose to wait for the track to dry; once it did, he felt he was catching people.
He praised the pit stops and strategy, said he was proud of his team and had not expected to get back onto the podium.
Sources 02
- PRIMARY SOURCEF1 - 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia Post-Race Press Conference TranscriptFIA news and transcripts
- PRIMARY SOURCEDoc 60 - Final Race ClassificationFIA F1 decision documents
Claims and supporting evidence 6
The FIA final classification names the event, venue, date, entrant, finishing position and time gap.
The post-race track interview records Hamilton's assessment.
The press-conference transcript records Hamilton's account and describes the soft-tyre choice as a team decision.
These are Hamilton's attributed recollections of the race and his response.
The post-race press conference records these comments.
The P17 wording is in the question, which names no lap; Hamilton's answer refers to the one-minute gap.
Corrections and updates to this story
Hamilton calls Sepang podium bittersweet after comeback from P17
Updated to distinguish the Ferrari’s starting tyre fitment from Hamilton’s later decision to stay on the softs after Ferrari suggested a switch, and to add his post-race assessment and Fred Vasseur’s account of the initial call and subsequent execution. / Bijgewerkt om de startbanden op Hamiltons Ferrari te onderscheiden van zijn latere besluit om na een voorstel van Ferrari op de softs te blijven, en om zijn terugblik na de race en Fred Vasseurs toelichting op de eerste bandenkeuze en de uitvoering daarna toe te voegen.
Hamilton says start call was wrong after Sepang podium
Updated: An earlier version said Hamilton was P17 on the opening lap. A post-race question described him as 17th at an unspecified point; Hamilton's own reply recalled seeing a one-minute deficit. The article now describes the pre-start soft-tyre choice as a team decision in Hamilton's account and separates it from his later decision to wait for the track to dry. It also replaces the earlier account of a proposed mid-race tyre switch and Fred Vasseur's comments with Hamilton's account of the race. / Bijgewerkt: In een eerdere versie stond dat Hamilton in de openingsronde P17 reed. Een vraag na de race omschreef hem op een niet nader genoemd moment als 17e; Hamilton vertelde zelf dat hij een achterstand van een minuut op het scherm zag. De keuze voor softs vóór de start wordt nu in Hamiltons relaas als een teambesluit beschreven, los van zijn latere besluit om te wachten tot de baan opdroogde. Ook vervangt het artikel de eerdere beschrijving van een voorgestelde bandenwissel tijdens de race en de opmerkingen van Fred Vasseur door Hamiltons relaas over de race.
Hamilton says start call was wrong after Sepang podium
Manual editorial correction: clarified wording and attribution and removed repeated or source-process prose where present. The underlying reporting and sources are unchanged. / Handmatige redactionele correctie: formuleringen en bronvermelding verduidelijkt; herhaling en controletaal verwijderd waar aanwezig. De verslaggeving en bronnen zijn behouden.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.