Lewis Hamilton put on an absolute masterclass at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, and Kimi Antonelli couldn't help but heap praise on the Ferrari driver for his remarkable recovery. Hamilton had a nightmare start when a software glitch forced him to stop during the formation lap, and then Ferrari's call to start him on slick tyres early on backfired spectacularly. He plummeted from the front row all the way down to 17th place, facing what looked like a weekend written off.

More F1 news: Verstappen Wins Chaotic Bahrain GP in Malaysia After Massive Delays, Russell's Title Fight Over

But here's where Hamilton's legendary resolve kicked in. A timely safety car bunched up the field, and from that point on, it was pure Hamilton. He picked off car after car with surgical precision, eventually catching Red Bull's Isack Hadjar in the closing stages and muscling past him for third place. The performance left even Hadjar baffled, with the Red Bull driver asking his pit wall over the radio how Hamilton's pace was even 'possible'. It's arguably one of Hamilton's finest drives since joining Ferrari, maybe even since his last world championship in 2020.

More F1 news: Verstappen's First Win Shakes Up 2026 Championship as Russell's Title Hopes Crumble

In the post-race press conference, Antonelli, who took Hamilton's seat at Mercedes last year, was asked what he could learn from the seven-time champ's never-say-die attitude. The Italian responded by acknowledging just how special Hamilton is. 'It's always great to share the track with Max and Lewis, because they're definitely rewriting... well, Lewis basically did the history of the sport and Max is doing the same,' Antonelli said.

More F1 news: Verstappen Breaks Winning Streak at Chaotic Sepang Race

He went on to highlight what really sets Hamilton apart. 'With Lewis, I think we've seen many, many times, many years, that even when things go badly, he always keeps his head down and tries to do his best to achieve the best result possible.' It's that mental resilience and refusal to give up that defines a true legend. Hamilton now stands at 208 career podiums, extending his already astronomical all-time record by another position. He's a staggering 53 podiums clear of Michael Schumacher in second place.

Shop the collection: Lewis Hamilton merch  •  Kimi Antonelli merch  •  Michael Schumacher merch  •  Scuderia Ferrari merch  •  Red Bull Racing merch  •  Mercedes-AMG merch