Fred Vasseur faced persistent questions over Ferrari’s decision not to move Lewis Hamilton ahead of Charles Leclerc during the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, with the team principal reportedly becoming particularly sensitive when challenged over the strategy after the race.
The Italian side left Marina Bay with the feeling that several opportunities had slipped away during round 17 of the Formula 1 season. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had delivered a double podium in the Sprint, but Sunday’s Grand Prix produced a less rewarding outcome after decisions involving both drivers shaped the Scuderia’s afternoon.
Fred Vasseur questioned over Ferrari team orders in Singapore
The weekend had initially brought encouraging results. Hamilton finished the Singapore Sprint just 2.591 seconds behind Max Verstappen after Mercedes driver George Russell crashed out while leading, while Leclerc took third after keeping Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind. The Monegasque nevertheless crossed the line 14.280 seconds behind his Ferrari teammate.
The Grand Prix proved more complicated. Leclerc made the stronger start and had an opportunity to challenge Verstappen into Turn 1, but the Red Bull driver retained the lead before going on to win. The moment formed another part of a weekend in which Ferrari’s Singapore performance and strategy decisions came under scrutiny.
Hamilton’s race then unravelled through a different strategic sequence. The British driver eventually apologised to Ferrari after choosing not to pit behind Leclerc during a Virtual Safety Car period and attempting to complete the race with a one-stop strategy. Hamilton understood that stopping under the VSC would leave him third behind Leclerc in second, but remaining on track ultimately contributed to his fall to sixth place.
The seven-time world champion later accepted responsibility for the gamble, with the full sequence examined in more detail in the analysis of Hamilton’s costly Singapore tyre decision.
Ferrari chose not to release Hamilton on his soft tyres
Another important moment came after the first round of pit stops. Hamilton had started on the less favourable medium C4 Pirelli compound before switching to soft C5 tyres on Lap 18. Leclerc followed a different sequence, moving in the opposite direction from softs to mediums when he stopped on Lap 24.
That left Hamilton on the softer compound behind his teammate, raising the possibility that Ferrari could have instructed Leclerc to let him through so he could exploit the tyre difference. The Scuderia chose not to make the swap.
Following the race, Vasseur was repeatedly asked why Ferrari had not released Hamilton during that phase. BBC Sport reported that the French team principal appeared especially sensitive to the subject and that the exchanges became awkward as he interrupted journalists before some questions had been completed.
Vasseur attempted to remain composed as the issue was raised several times. He maintained that the tyre advantage actually belonged to Leclerc because the Monegasque had stopped six laps later, and he considered Ferrari’s decision the correct one. The team principal also argued that Hamilton had been around two seconds behind his teammate after two laps.
Hamilton remained close to Leclerc before the VSC decision
The gap on track nevertheless remained small for a significant period. Once Leclerc completed his first stop and moved from the soft to the medium compound, Hamilton was immediately close behind the other Ferrari and remained within roughly two to three seconds until Leclerc stopped again under the Virtual Safety Car on Lap 39.
Hamilton stayed out at that point, a choice that ultimately defined the remainder of his race. The reasoning behind that decision and the consequences for Ferrari’s podium hopes are examined in the breakdown of why Hamilton remained on track during the Singapore VSC.
Leclerc soon demonstrated the advantage of the fresher strategy. He caught and passed Hamilton on Lap 46 of 62 and had already opened a 12-second advantage by Lap 52.
The situation deteriorated further for Hamilton as his tyres faded. When Antonelli took third place from the Ferrari driver on Lap 55, Leclerc was already 20 seconds further up the road.
Ferrari’s Singapore opportunities fuel strategy debate
The sequence left Ferrari facing questions on two separate but connected decisions: whether Hamilton should have been allowed past Leclerc earlier while running on the soft C5 compound, and whether the Briton should subsequently have abandoned his attempt to remain ahead by stopping under the Virtual Safety Car.
Vasseur defended the first call on the basis that Leclerc’s later stop gave him the stronger tyre position. Hamilton’s later choice to remain on track proved costly, however, as his teammate recovered the position comfortably before Antonelli also moved ahead.
The debate adds another layer to Ferrari’s Singapore weekend, particularly after questions were also raised about the information Hamilton received before making his decisive VSC call. Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer later questioned Ferrari’s radio communication with Hamilton before the strategic gamble.
Ferrari therefore left Marina Bay with a Sprint double podium but also with several moments from the Grand Prix under examination, as the team attempted to explain why opportunities involving both Leclerc and Hamilton did not produce the maximum possible result.
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