Hamilton admits to costly Ferrari tyre call: ‘We were in trouble’

Lewis Hamilton achieved a top-three finish in Sepang on Sunday and yet he knew almost immediately that his Bahrain Grand Prix was in serious trouble. The seven-time world champion had seen what Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli were putting on their cars, and the sight of intermediates while Ferrari had committed to slicks told him everything he needed to know. Hamilton ultimately recovered brilliantly to finish third, but the podium masked a strategic gamble that initially sent him tumbling down the order. The Briton had qualified second behind Verstappen on Saturday, setting up the prospect of a direct fight with…