Key Highlights:
- Charles Leclerc has urged Ferrari to examine Red Bull’s operational strategy after a failed slick-tyre start at Sepang compromised their race opening.
- Ferrari committed both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to soft tyres on a damp track, dropping them to the tail end of the field before recovering to third and fourth.
- Red Bull started both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar on intermediate tyres, guiding Verstappen to his 72nd career Formula 1 victory.
Ferrari’s Mixed-Weather Strategy Misfires at Sepang
Charles Leclerc has called on Ferrari to take notes from Formula 1 rival Red Bull after a high-stakes tyre gamble backfired during a rain-affected race at Sepang. Facing damp conditions on the starting grid, Ferrari elected to put both Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton on soft slick tyres. In contrast, Red Bull opted for intermediate rubber for both pole-sitter Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
The decision to run slicks proved costly from the outset. Hamilton plummeted from second on the grid down to 15th, while Leclerc plummeted from fourth to last place, compelling the Monegasque driver to pit for intermediates at the end of the very first lap. Although Ferrari was one of six teams to roll the dice on slick tyres at the start, only Ferrari and Alpine—who fielded Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto on softs—decided against splitting their tyre strategies across both garage sides.
Leclerc Evaluates Tyre Calls and the Red Bull Benchmark
Despite the opening-lap setback, Leclerc acknowledged that he was fully involved in the pre-race call, while highlighting how consistently Red Bull executes critical tactical decisions. The Milton Keynes outfit, led by chief strategist Hannah Schmitz, watched Verstappen capitalise from pole position to claim his 72nd grand prix victory.
“I was aligned with the team,”
revealed Leclerc. “It was a close call as it is always in these conditions and we’ll speak whether to split the cars in those conditions is the best possible way.
“But it’s also true that when you split the cars, by definition there’s one very wrong choice and one very good choice and it’s very difficult to have an in-between scenario where both scenarios kind of pans out the same.
“So we thought we were doing the right thing obviously, but clearly there’s one team in particular – and that is Red Bull – that gets it right most of the time with both cars.
“For that we need to understand what they are doing better than we do.”
Assessing Track Conditions and the Late Recovery
The race featured fluctuating track conditions where rain had eased and dry patches were appearing. By lap 13, all competitors on intermediate rubber had shifted onto dry slicks for the remainder of the grand prix. Leclerc noted that evaluating the asphalt’s moisture level directly contributed to the misjudged start.
“It’s very difficult, it was the same for everybody,”
added Leclerc. “I think even though we had a bit of data on our side, it’s in conditions that have nothing to do with the conditions we had today.
“So yeah, it was based on intuition, on looking at the ground, and the surface looked pretty dry.
“The thing is that the biggest question mark we’ve had is how much water there is in the holes of the tarmac, and there was a lot more water than I think the majority thought there was, and that’s why the slick ended up being the wrong decision.”
Aided in part by a late power unit failure that forced Mercedes driver George Russell to retire with five laps remaining, Hamilton and Leclerc mounted a strong recovery drive to finish third and fourth, respectively.
“Our end result is quite representative from where we would have hoped to finish,”
said Leclerc. “Kimi [Antonelli] and Max were just too strong for us today and we were right after and we finished P3, P4.
“But it’s been a strange race. I think everything that could have gone wrong at the first part of the race went wrong and everything that could have gone right in the second part of the race went right.
“At the end of the day, both extremes balanced each other out and we are finishing where we should have finished. But it’s been a bit more of a sweaty race than what I would have hoped.”
Why This Matters
Operational execution and in-race strategy have long been scrutinized at Ferrari, where tactical miscues often carry heavy championship consequences under the glare of global media attention. While the Maranello-based squad exhibited strong race pace to climb back into third and fourth positions, the failure to split car setups exposed them to unnecessary risk compared to Red Bull, which routinely optimizes execution across both sides of its garage. As technical margins tighten at the front of the grid, closing the operational deficit to benchmark teams like Red Bull remains critical for Ferrari’s long-term ambitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ferrari start both cars on soft tyres?
Ferrari’s assessment was based on visual track observation and the perception that the asphalt was drying sufficiently to support slicks. However, substantial water remained embedded within the tarmac surface, forcing Charles Leclerc to pit after just one lap.
Where did Ferrari finish after their early-race issues?
Despite falling to 15th and last place on the opening lap, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc recovered through the field to secure third and fourth place, assisted in the closing laps by a mechanical retirement for Mercedes’ George Russell.
Which other team ran identical slick-tyre strategies from the start?
Alpine was the only other outfit besides Ferrari to field both cars on soft tyres without splitting strategies, committing Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto to slicks from the start.
