Dominant Verstappen & superb Hamilton recovery - driver ratings

Lewis Hamilton experienced a rollercoaster of emotions after the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia when a tyre gamble backfired for him during the race at the Sepang circuit. Starting from second place on the grid, Hamilton fell to 18th after a poor tyre strategy, but he managed to fight back to finish third in a chaotic, rain-affected race.

The race started more than 90 minutes late due to rain, and Hamilton was one of the few drivers who switched to slicks before the track had fully dried. Despite Ferrari's urging him to pit for tyre changes, Hamilton stuck with his strategy, citing the safety cars as a crucial factor in his recovery. As the track dried, Hamilton climbed back through the field, overtaking Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Kimi Antonelli to secure a podium finish.

Hamilton expressed his gratitude for the team's decision to stick with the strategy and praised his teammates for their strategic decisions, highlighting the challenging race conditions and acknowledging that Red Bull and Mercedes were significantly faster than his team.