Lewis Hamilton told why Ferrari ignored his request that made ‘my heart sank’ at Sepang

Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment after Ferrari decided to start him and Charles Leclerc on soft slick tyres instead of intermediate tyres at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Hamilton had wanted to use intermediates due to wet conditions, and he felt his race was compromised when he saw rivals starting on the better-suited tyres.

The decision by Ferrari led to Hamilton losing significant time, as he fell behind drivers who started on intermediates. Despite starting from P2, he struggled early on but managed to recover and finish third after a series of strategic pit stops. Ivan Capelli noted that Ferrari's choice aimed to avoid conflict between their drivers, raising questions about the drivers' influence on race strategy.