KUALA LUMPUR – Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton stood soaking in the roaring grandstands at the Sepang International Circuit today, visibly energized by what he called the biggest Malaysian crowd he has ever witnessed in his storied career.
The 41-year-old Ferrari star delivered a vintage performance under punishing tropical heat, storming onto the front row with a 1 minute 35.428 seconds lap—just 0.298s off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. But as he stepped out of his cockpit, it was the raw passion of the Malaysian fans that left him beaming.
“Well, I mean, listen to this crowd. I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever seen here, at least in my time of driving. I love this energy. Big, big thank you to Malaysia for welcoming us,” he said after qualifying.
Battling the Malaysian heat
The scorching Sepang track temperatures pushed cars, mechanics, and drivers to their physical limits throughout the weekend.
“It’s so hot here, I keep saying it. That’s made it a massive challenge for the tyres, the car and the mechanics in the garage,” he said.
Hamilton, who tasted victory at Sepang with Mercedes in 2014 and secured his maiden Ferrari win at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP in June, spent much of practice wrestling with sliding rubber and thermal degradation.
He praised his garage crew for working tirelessly to fine-tune the setup right up until the final moments before qualifying.
“I’m really, really thankful to my team. We made so many changes through all these practice sessions. Because the cars are sliding and these tyres are overheating, it was really, really hard to find a good balance.”
“We made one last change going into qualifying, and I think we hit the sweet spot,” he said.
Formula 1’s return to Sepang
Malaysia’s iconic circuit returned to the grand prix calendar after an agreement struck between F1, the FIA, and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain allowed Sepang to host the 2026 Gulf Air Bahrain GP following geopolitical tensions in West Asia earlier this season.
Having last hosted an F1 race in 2017, Sepang’s return—and Hamilton’s front-row heroics in Ferrari red—has rekindled a classic motorsport romance with local fans ahead of Sunday’s 3 pm race. – October 3, 2026