Hamilton hopes for 'awesome' Verstappen fight for win
Lewis Hamilton says it will be important for Ferrari to focus on their own race for what is expected to be a challenging Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia but admits it would be "awesome" if they have the pace to stay with polesitter Max Verstappen from the front row.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to start on a Grand Prix front row together for the first time since 2023; Hamilton and Verstappen expect challenging conditions with high tyre wear; watch the race at 8am with build-up from 6.30am, live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event
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Lewis Hamilton says it will be important for Ferrari to focus on their own race for what is expected to be a challenging Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia but admits it would be "awesome" if they have the pace to stay with polesitter Max Verstappen from the front row.
Hamilton produced "probably my best lap of the year" to claim second on the grid with his last attempt of qualifying at the Sepang International Circuit, his second front-row start of the year.
It will be the first time Verstappen and Hamilton, the grid's two-most successful drivers and the sport's biggest names, have started at the head of a Grand Prix together since July 2023, at that year's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is just behind them in third, creating a mouth-watering head of the grid for lights out at 8am on Sunday live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.
Verstappen claimed pole, Red Bull's first of the season, by 0.298s and the Dutchman's form so far this weekend on F1's return to Sepang suggests he is the favourite to win too.
Indeed, Hamilton was staying cautious about Ferrari's chances of fighting for victory.
"I think I can be really happy with today," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 .
"I think in the last race we were not fast in the race so I don't know, pace wise, how we will be tomorrow.
"What I do know is we carry this deficit of straight-line speed. What that ultimately means is I think we're slightly quicker through corners, particularly low-speed corners I think we're a little bit quicker than say the Red Bulls and some of the others, but then on the straights we lose a lot.
"What that means then for the race on a track like this where degradation is very, very high, tyres are getting so hot all the time, is we have to push more through corners to try and keep up and make up for the loses in the straights.
"So that's ultimately what we have to be careful of doing too much of tomorrow [Sunday] and degrading more in trying to hold on to them. So I think we just have to run our own race, whatever that be pace wise, and not be focusing on trying to over-push to hold on.
"I think he's got the pace generally to pull away but if that's different when we start the race and we're able to hold on and we're in the fight, that'd be awesome as well. But all we can do is do our best, so I'll give it everything tomorrow."
F1 has experienced typically hot and humid conditions on the sport's first return to Malaysia in nine years but the abrasiveness of an aged Sepang track surface has created additional unexpected challenges.
Multiple pit stops are predicted in Sunday's 56-lap race, with teams expected to adopt different tyre strategies and all three tyre compounds likely to be seen.
Hamilton said after qualifying: "I'm much happier with where the car is, but tomorrow is a completely different ballgame. Making these tyres last around this track - I mean, they're overheating from the get-go.
"Every little bit of wheelspin you have, every little snap you have makes a difference of how far you're going to go.
"I like to think we've got a good balance. Max was really quick on his long runs, so I'll just try my best to hold onto him tomorrow."
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull 2) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 3) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes 4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 5) Lando Norris, McLaren 6) Oscar Piastri, McLaren 7) George Russell, Mercedes 8) Isack Hadjar, Red Bull 9) Pierre Gasly, Alpine 10) Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur told Sky Sports F1 : "It's a good qualifying but the success is on Sunday, it's never on Saturday.
"On top, we know that this one will be a lot about degradation, about race pace, about tyre management much more than great position.
"But I prefer to have a good qualifying than not. Starting from the first and second row with Lewis and Charles [Leclerc] is a good start, but we have to now put all our focus on the race."
Verstappen's 49th career pole position was his first since the final race of last season in Abu Dhabi, also the scene of the Dutchman's most recent win.
He made clear his determination on his arrival at Sepang on Thursday to claim a victory before the 2026 campaign ended.
Speaking after qualifying first at Sepang, Verstappen told Sky Sports F1 : "As a team, we want to win. We're here to win, we're not just here to grab podiums.
"So, we are looking forward to it but we also know that it's not going to be that straightforward.
"There are so many things that we still need to see that have to work well, or in our favour, but we'll see tomorrow."
Verstappen won the last Malaysia Grand Prix in 2017 so is aiming for back-to-back triumphs at Sepang, albeit with an unusually-large nine year-gap in between and under different race titles.
Sunday October 4 6.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Bahrain GP build-up* 8am: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX* 10am: Chequered Flag: Bahrain GP reaction*
Formula 1 is in Malaysia for the first time since 2017 as it hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit - watch Sunday's race at 8am (build-up from 6.30am), live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
