Live
RENAULTCar industry supports 13.6 million European jobs and €414.7 billion in annual tax revenueWAABI INNOVATION INC.Volvo and Waabi start first customer autonomous trucking operation with Warp in TexasVOLVO GROUP (AB VOLVO)Volvo and Waabi begin autonomous truck customer operations in Texas with WarpPEUGEOTPeugeot to stage a different themed event every day on its 1,300 m² stand at the 2026 Paris Motor ShowDUCATI MOTOR HOLDING S.P.A.Morbidelli to join Aruba.it Racing – Ducati for the 2027 Superbike World ChampionshipMAN TRUCK & BUSMAN expands TGE Individual range with new Lion X and Black packages plus power upgradeFERRARI N.V.Ferrari opens Maranello HQ to Provincial Educational Guidance Fair for local studentsDAIMLER TRUCK AGeActros 600 delivers beer to Oktoberfest and Cannstatter Wasen on 130-year truck tourAISIN CORPORATIONAisin to show thin, lightweight perovskite solar cells at ASEAN Energy Business Forum in ManilaVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (VECV)VECV September 2026 sales jump 49.6% to 11,396 units on domestic Eicher demandŠKODAŠkoda Octavia becomes the brand's first full hybrid, with orders opening in OctoberKTM AGTeam Belgium wins Motocross of Nations at Ernee as Red Bull KTM's Coenen twins starRENAULTCar industry supports 13.6 million European jobs and €414.7 billion in annual tax revenueWAABI INNOVATION INC.Volvo and Waabi start first customer autonomous trucking operation with Warp in TexasVOLVO GROUP (AB VOLVO)Volvo and Waabi begin autonomous truck customer operations in Texas with WarpPEUGEOTPeugeot to stage a different themed event every day on its 1,300 m² stand at the 2026 Paris Motor ShowDUCATI MOTOR HOLDING S.P.A.Morbidelli to join Aruba.it Racing – Ducati for the 2027 Superbike World ChampionshipMAN TRUCK & BUSMAN expands TGE Individual range with new Lion X and Black packages plus power upgradeFERRARI N.V.Ferrari opens Maranello HQ to Provincial Educational Guidance Fair for local studentsDAIMLER TRUCK AGeActros 600 delivers beer to Oktoberfest and Cannstatter Wasen on 130-year truck tourAISIN CORPORATIONAisin to show thin, lightweight perovskite solar cells at ASEAN Energy Business Forum in ManilaVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (VECV)VECV September 2026 sales jump 49.6% to 11,396 units on domestic Eicher demandŠKODAŠkoda Octavia becomes the brand's first full hybrid, with orders opening in OctoberKTM AGTeam Belgium wins Motocross of Nations at Ernee as Red Bull KTM's Coenen twins star
MotorClaw.news
Subscribe
Search releases, companies, topics...
Live2026-10-05 16:41 UTC+26 todayUpdated

Hamilton and Leclerc finish third and fourth as Ferrari take tenth podium of the season in Bahrain Grand Prix

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fought back from a wrong tyre call to finish third and fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.

Ferrari's finish
Third (Hamilton) and fourth (Leclerc)
Points scored
27
Podiums in 2026
10th for the team; sixth for Hamilton
Race start delay
90 minutes later than scheduled, after an initial 40-minute delay

What Happened

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished the Bahrain Grand Prix in third and fourth place for Scuderia Ferrari HP at Malaysia's Sepang circuit. Both drivers had to fight their way back through the field after a wrong tyre choice for the start dropped them down the order in the opening laps. It was the team's tenth podium of the season, and Hamilton's sixth. The 27 points scored consolidated the Scuderia's second place in the Constructors' Championship. Ferrari now travels straight to Singapore for next Sunday's 17th race of the season at the Marina Bay street circuit.

The team decided to start both SF-26s on Soft tyres, a call that proved costly in the early stages as both drivers dropped down the order. Leclerc also sustained damage to his front wing on the opening lap after contact with Nico Hülkenberg and had to pit for a replacement, switching to Intermediate tyres. The Safety Car that appeared on lap nine bunched the field and signalled the start of the Ferrari fightback, with Hamilton working his way through with a series of overtakes into the points and then the leading positions, followed not far behind by his team-mate, and at two thirds distance Lewis was fifth ahead of Charles. In the closing stages Alex Albon stopped on track, forcing race control to deploy the Safety Car; both drivers pitted for fresh Soft tyres and at the restart Lewis was fourth ahead of Charles, following the retirement of George Russell. The race resumed on lap 51, and on the following lap Lewis passed Isack Hadjar to move into third place, with Leclerc getting the better of the same driver one lap later to secure fourth at the chequered flag.

How the race unfolded
  1. 15:00

    The race was due to start, with Hamilton and Leclerc lining up in second and fourth places.

  2. After the scheduled start

    A violent thunderstorm forced race control to delay the start by 40 minutes, and after several laps behind the Safety Car a widespread software issue led to the race being stopped.

  3. 16:30

    The race finally got underway, 90 minutes later than originally scheduled, by which time the rain had stopped; Ferrari started both SF-26s on Soft tyres.

  4. Lap nine

    The Safety Car appeared on track, bunched up the field and signalled the start of the Ferrari fightback.

  5. Lap 51 and after

    The race resumed after Alex Albon stopped on track; Hamilton passed Isack Hadjar for third on lap 52 and Leclerc took fourth a lap later.

Grid to chequered flag
Lewis Hamilton
Started second, finished third
Charles Leclerc
Started fourth, finished fourth
“Sepang is always a great track to race on, but today is definitely one of the most memorable. It was a really demanding race and not an easy one to manage from the start, but the team did a fantastic job staying calm and executing well after a difficult opening phase. We found ourselves on the back foot very early on with the tyre choice, yet everyone stayed focused and kept pushing. We didn't give up despite a big gap building straight away, and step by step we managed to fight our way back into contention and keep the pressure on until the flag. To finish on the podium after the way the race began feels really satisfying and is a great reward for the hard work, determination and resilience everyone showed today. A big thank you as well to the fans, who were incredible all weekend.”
— Lewis Hamilton, Scuderia Ferrari HP driver, #44
“It was an eventful race. A lot of things went wrong in the first part, and everything that could have gone right did in the second part, so I would say P4 is a good result today all things considered. I collided with Nico (Hülkenberg) on lap 1 as I started on slicks and the track turned out to still be very wet. It was a close call which tyres to start on, with a mixed grid, and we will learn from today to be prepared should these conditions come up again. We're heading to Singapore next, so let's see what we can bring home for the team there.”
— Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari HP driver, #16
“Overall our result is good, especially considering where we were at the end of the first lap. To finish third and fourth after dropping to the back of the field is a very strong comeback from the whole team. The tyre choice on the grid was a difficult one: in those conditions, you can only judge from what you see around you on the grid and in the pit lane. We did not have the full picture of the track and, in the end, we got the call wrong. We will analyse everything carefully and make sure we learn from it for the future. From that moment on, we stayed calm, executed well and made the right decisions. The strategy worked as intended, our pace was strong and both Lewis and Charles did an excellent job managing their tyres while fighting their way back through the field. Charles' race was made even more difficult by the need to stop after the first lap to replace the front wing following a collision, which makes his recovery to fourth place particularly impressive. We scored good points, secured another podium and showed strong pace in difficult conditions.”
— Fred Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari HP Team Principal

Previously from Ferrari N.V.

Ferrari arrived at Sepang with Lewis Hamilton having qualified on the front row and Charles Leclerc promoted to fourth on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the positions from which they started the race. Ahead of the weekend, Hamilton had also publicly given team principal Fred Vasseur full trust and support, and called Malaysia's circuit one of the most demanding on the calendar.

Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.

Why this matters

The 27 points consolidated Ferrari's second place in the Constructors' Championship, so the result counts for the team's position in the season-long title fight, not just this race. It was the team's tenth podium of 2026 and Hamilton's sixth. The team now heads straight to Singapore for the 17th race of the season.

Terms in This Story

Safety Car
A course vehicle that leads the field at reduced speed while a hazard is cleared, bunching the cars together.
Slicks
Racing tyres with no tread grooves, designed for use on a dry track.
Intermediate tyres
Tyres with a shallow tread pattern used on a drying track, sitting between full wet tyres and dry tyres.
Constructors' Championship
The Formula 1 title awarded to a team based on the points scored by its drivers over the season.
Read Original: Ferrari N.V.

Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.

How useful was this article?

Feedback goes to the MotorClaw Desk and does not subscribe you to email. Privacy.