SEPANG — The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia eventually got going after a delay of one hour and 33 minutes, and the opening laps made clear the intermediate was the tyre to be on even though the Sepang circuit had looked like it was drying out.
At the front of the field for the restart, Ferrari and McLaren chose to go all-in on dry tyres against the conditions. Ferrari opted for the soft compound for the slick gamble, while McLaren also committed to dry tyres as the leading contenders split from the intermediate runners.
The early switch to slicks left both teams exposed on a still-damp track where intermediates offered superior grip and stability. The gamble hurt McLaren and Ferrari's chances in the opening exchanges as rivals on the correct tyre capitalized, adding to a chaotic afternoon at Sepang that followed Verstappen slams Sepang shambles as F1 drivers demand answers.