Jenson Button has praised Lewis Hamilton for immediately accepting responsibility after his costly Singapore Grand Prix strategy decision, arguing that the Ferrari driver handled the aftermath in the best possible way. The Briton had been in contention for a podium at Marina Bay before an alternative strategy unravelled and left him sixth at the chequered flag.
The seven-time world champion started third on Medium tyres while several drivers around him chose the Soft compound. Ferrari’s different approach initially gave Hamilton strategic flexibility, but an early first stop eventually left him needing to extend a set of Soft tyres deep into the race. As grip disappeared late on, Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri all found a way past.
Lewis Hamilton rejects Ferrari pit call during Singapore VSC
A major opportunity arrived when Lance Stroll’s stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Ferrari called Hamilton into the pits for what would have been a relatively cheap second stop, but the British driver chose to remain on track. The decision allowed him to gain track position over Charles Leclerc, although the advantage proved temporary once tyre performance began to deteriorate.
The full sequence formed part of a wider Ferrari Singapore Grand Prix strategy battle in which track position and tyre life became decisive. Hamilton ultimately lost the podium opportunity as fresher-tyred rivals closed rapidly during the final stages.
After the race, Hamilton immediately accepted responsibility over team radio. He acknowledged that the strategic choice had been his own, apologised for costing Ferrari valuable points and promised to try to recover them at the next opportunity. He also credited the team for the quality of its pit stops.
Jenson Button respects Lewis Hamilton for owning the mistake
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, former team-mate Jenson Button rejected the suggestion that Hamilton’s decision reflected a lack of trust between the driver and Ferrari. In Button’s view, the seven-time world champion simply wanted greater control over his own race and believed remaining out gave him the better opportunity.
Button explained that Hamilton did not want to spend the remainder of the Grand Prix sitting behind Charles Leclerc. The British driver had felt competitive on the Soft tyre and wanted to give the alternative approach a chance rather than surrendering the track position he had gained.
For Button, the most important part came afterwards. He expressed strong respect for the way Hamilton apologised immediately after the finish and accepted ownership of the decision rather than allowing responsibility to fall on the team. Button considered that the best way to deal with the mistake before moving forward.
The response was especially significant given the scrutiny surrounding Ferrari strategy decisions in recent races. The Scuderia had already faced criticism after its failed slick-tyre strategy in Malaysia, and Hamilton’s decision to publicly take the blame in Singapore prevented another strategy controversy from being placed entirely at the feet of the pit wall.
Ferrari’s Singapore result limits the damage
Despite Hamilton’s late fall through the order, the wider championship consequences may remain relatively contained. Ferrari scored 26 points in Singapore, matching Red Bull as the highest-scoring team during the Grand Prix weekend.
The Italian team also remains 105 points ahead of McLaren in the fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, meaning the points lost through Hamilton’s strategy decision may ultimately prove to be a one-race setback rather than a decisive blow to Ferrari’s position.
For Hamilton, the Singapore weekend nevertheless became another reminder of how quickly an aggressive strategy can turn against a driver when tyre life disappears. Button’s assessment focused less on the mistake itself than on how the Ferrari driver responded to it: taking responsibility immediately, protecting the team from further criticism and then moving on to the next race.
Further updates on the seven-time world champion’s season are available in the Lewis Hamilton Ferrari news section.
Leave a Reply