Formula 1 left Sepang with a very different competitive picture. Red Bull finally turned its recent progress into victory, Ferrari showed enough pace to wonder what might have been, while Mercedes and McLaren both have significant questions to answer before Singapore.
Did Ferrari throw away Hamilton’s chance to win?
Lewis Hamilton recovered from more than a minute behind to finish third after Ferrari’s tyre choice compromised the opening phase of his race. The pace of the comeback inevitably raised a question: could Hamilton have fought Verstappen for victory without the early setback?
Why did Mercedes’ big upgrade fail to deliver?
Mercedes expected its Sepang package to provide a significant performance gain, but the W17 instead produced unexpected problems throughout the weekend. The team is now trying to understand why an upgrade designed to make the car faster apparently sent it backwards.
Verstappen explains emotional Red Bull breakthrough
Max Verstappen gave Red Bull Ford Powertrains its first Formula 1 victory after a difficult start to the new regulations. Beyond the sporting significance, Verstappen explained why finally winning with Red Bull’s own power unit was particularly emotional for his father, Jos.
Piastri admits McLaren needs to improve
Oscar Piastri’s assessment of Sepang was straightforward: McLaren does not currently have enough performance to fight for victories. The Australian admitted the team needs to improve after Red Bull’s recent progress changed the competitive picture.
Leclerc points to Red Bull as Ferrari’s new benchmark
Charles Leclerc also left Malaysia looking closely at Verstappen’s performance. After Ferrari again faced questions over its race decisions, Leclerc pointed to Red Bull’s recent progress as a key reference for the Scuderia.
GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the latest Formula 1 news as the championship heads to Singapore.
