Lewis Hamilton has held his hands up after a strategic misjudgment wrecked his chances of a strong result at the Singapore Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver admitting he cost his team valuable points by opting against a second pitstop during a late virtual safety car.
The seven-time world champion had looked well placed to challenge for a podium at Marina Bay, but his decision to remain on track when the race was neutralised on lap 39 left him nursing increasingly exhausted tyres through the closing stages.
By the chequered flag, Hamilton had tumbled to sixth, behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and finished almost 46 seconds behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
It was a painful outcome for a driver who had already struggled to keep pace with the frontrunners, but Hamilton was unequivocal about where the responsibility lay.
“Sorry, boys,” he said over the radio after the race. “I let you down today with that strategy. My call, and I lost us valuable points. I’ll try and make up for it in the next one. Great job with the pitstop though.”
Race engineer Carlo Santi acknowledged the message, replying: “Understood, thank you Lewis.”
The pivotal moment came when the virtual safety car was deployed on lap 39 after Lance Stroll pulled his Aston Martin aside with a suspected clutch problem.
Hamilton had already completed 21 laps on his soft tyres, while Leclerc was running on mediums that had been fitted 15 laps earlier. With the field required to slow under the VSC, the opportunity to make a relatively inexpensive pitstop was too good for Ferrari to ignore.
Leclerc came in for fresh softs, but Hamilton chose to stay out, committing himself to an extraordinary 44-lap stint on the compound.
The decision proved disastrous. As the rubber deteriorated, Hamilton became increasingly vulnerable, allowing Lando Norris and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli to pass him. Piastri also finished ahead despite making an additional stop after suffering a slow puncture following the VSC.
Hamilton's tactical call ultimately cost him an estimated 41.5 seconds relative to Leclerc, turning what could have been a Ferrari one-two behind race winner Max Verstappen into a far less satisfying afternoon.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur explained that the team's strategy had deliberately been split from the outset. Leclerc, starting on the front row, had been given soft tyres to maximise his chances of challenging Verstappen for the lead, while Hamilton began on mediums.
The Monegasque's aggressive start nearly paid off, as he challenged the Red Bull driver into the opening corner before Verstappen narrowly retained the advantage.
Ferrari's decision-making during the VSC, however, left Vasseur convinced that a better result had been available.
"It was entirely Lewis’s decision," Vasseur revealed. "We called him into the pits, but he didn’t come in. The call was to pit two [cars] and Lewis decided to stay on track,” he explained after the race.
“I think it was a mistake overall; we would have gone for P2-P3 today, but he apologised [Hamilton] in the in-lap for the strategy that we asked him to call and he didn't.
"It’s a real shame because he would have finished P3. I’m disappointed because we could have had both cars on the podium, but instead we finished sixth."
Hamilton has accepted the blame. Now he must respond on track, with the championship fight tightening and little room left for further costly mistakes.
Max Verstappen is beginning to enjoy himself again, and his Formula 1’s rivals have every…
Max Verstappen finally conquered Singapore, converting pole position into a commanding victory at Marina Bay…
Full race results from the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay, round 17 of the…
When he was unveiled on this day in 1993 as Ayrton Senna's teammate at Williams-Renault,…
The FIA has acknowledged that sporting fairness was compromised during Friday’s Sprint qualifying at the…
The glittering night lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit are primed to host another…