SEPANG — When the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia eventually got going after an hour and 33 minutes of delays at the Sepang circuit, the opening laps made clear the intermediate was the tyre to be on. Even though the track had looked like it was drying out ahead of the restart, conditions still favored the wet-weather tyre in the early running.
At the front of the field, Ferrari and McLaren chose to go all-in on dry tyres for the restart. Ferrari opted for the soft compound for its slick gamble, while McLaren also committed to slicks, wagering that the drying surface at Sepang would quickly come to them despite lingering damp patches around the lap.
The decision proved costly in the initial laps as rivals on intermediates carried the advantage and found more grip. The slick tyre gamble hurt both McLaren and Ferrari's early chances, leaving the front-runners to manage limited traction while the order settled after the extended delay.