Hamilton's Singapore Blunder: Apology to Ferrari After Costly Strategy Call
Hamilton's Singapore Blunder: Apology to Ferrari After Costly Strategy Call
Lewis Hamilton apologizes to Ferrari after overriding team strategy at the Singapore GP, costing valuable points and putting a title at risk. Read more about the dramatic race!
Lewis Hamilton has issued a heartfelt apology to his Ferrari team following a critical strategy error during the Singapore Grand Prix, a misstep that potentially cost the Scuderia a double podium finish and brings Kimi Antonelli closer to clinching the world title. Hamilton, who was on course for a strong result alongside teammate Charles Leclerc, finished a disappointing sixth after choosing to override his team's instructions.
The pivotal moment occurred during a Virtual Safety Car period. Ferrari had called both cars into the pits, a move that typically saves precious seconds compared to a regular pit stop. While Leclerc followed the instruction, Hamilton decided to stay out, hoping to maintain track position and make his current set of tyres last until the end of the race.
This decision, however, backfired spectacularly. In the closing laps, Hamilton found himself battling severe tyre degradation, struggling to hold off competitors. He ultimately lost three positions, plummeting from a likely podium spot to P6.
On the slowing-down lap, a remorseful Hamilton radioed his team, saying: "Sorry, boys.
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." Later, in a statement released by Ferrari, Hamilton elaborated on his decision. "Under the virtual safety car, the team called me in but I missed the entry. After that, I decided to stay out and try to hold track position to the end but in the closing laps, I was struggling massively with tyre degradation and lost three places," he explained.
He took full responsibility, acknowledging it was a "painful lesson." Team principal Frederic Vasseur downplayed the incident, stating:
Now it's not a drama for me that he made the wrong call. I'm making mistakes, he's making mistakes, we're all making mistakes sometimes. Now we have to look ahead and make mistakes positively.
Vasseur confirmed that the team's initial call was for Hamilton to pit.
Hamilton's initial strategy involved starting on a medium tyre, which he hoped to stretch for a one-stop race. However, the medium compound didn't perform as expected, forcing an earlier pit stop. Despite an improved pace on soft tyres in his second stint, his crucial decision under the VSC ultimately sealed his fate.
The team's decision to keep Leclerc ahead, despite Hamilton's temporary pace advantage after Leclerc's stop, was also highlighted, with Vasseur defending it due to Leclerc's later pit and resulting tyre advantage. This costly error means that Kimi Antonelli is now on the brink of securing the world title, potentially at the next race in Austin.
Ferrari will be keen to put this weekend behind them and focus on securing stronger results in the remaining races.
