Ferrari started both cars on slick tyres despite the wet track, expecting conditions to improve more quickly than they ultimately did.
Hamilton and Leclerc lost considerable ground during the opening laps before recovering through competitive race pace and effective tyre management.
“I think 50% of the cars went for slicks and 50% for wets,” Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur said.
“For sure, it was not the good one. It’s clear that it was better to start with intermediates, but we made the choice with the information that we had.”
Leclerc collided with Nico Hulkenberg at the start and immediately stopped for intermediate tyres and a replacement front wing.
Hamilton remained on slicks longer after Ferrari allowed Hamilton to assess the conditions from inside the car.
“We let Hamilton have the choice,” Vasseur said. “In this situation, drivers are in the car. When we tell them that we are ready, it is just to say that they can pit if they think it is the right call.”
Hamilton eventually recovered to third, while Leclerc finished fourth. Both drivers gained a position following George Russell’s late retirement, while Isack Hadjar’s battery problem reduced the challenge from behind.
Vasseur praised Hamilton’s long final stint on soft tyres.
“Hamilton did a very good race with a very smooth strategy,” Vasseur said. “Hamilton was able to do a very long stint with very good tyre management on the soft.”
Ferrari’s recovery left questions about whether a start on intermediate tyres could have produced a stronger result. “I don’t know, because the race is different when you have to overtake 20 cars rather than run at the front,” Vasseur said.
“The pace was solid, and when Hamilton was at the end of the stint with the soft tyre, Hamilton was still doing very good lap times.”
Ferrari had shown competitive qualifying pace in recent races, but Vasseur said performance over a race distance was stronger in Malaysia. “The race pace was much better this weekend,” Vasseur said.
Ferrari will now turn attention to the Singapore Grand Prix, where changing circuit conditions will present another challenge. “We are expecting to produce another good performance next week, and I hope we’ll do it,” Vasseur said.
–F1/ChannelAfrica–
