Lewis Hamilton has taken full responsibility for the strategy decision that contributed to his fall to sixth place in the Singapore Grand Prix, admitting that he chose not to follow Ferrari’s preferred approach during the Virtual Safety Car period. The decision ultimately cost the Scuderia seven points in the Constructors’ Championship.
Ferrari called both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton into the pits when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, but the seven-time world champion remained on track. The decision left him committed to a different strategy at Marina Bay, where overtaking opportunities are limited and track position can play a major role.
Lewis Hamilton stayed out under the Singapore VSC
During the Virtual Safety Car period, the Ferrari pit wall instructed both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to pit, but Lewis Hamilton chose to continue. The circumstances can also be examined through the Ferrari Pit Stop & Strategy Statistics, which tracks stop timing, tyre stints and Safety Car or VSC stops across the season.
After the race, Lewis Hamilton was unwell and did not take part in the usual media activities. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur said the British driver had missed the pit-lane entry, although his understanding was that Lewis Hamilton had wanted to pursue his own strategy because he believed it offered the best chance of success.
The Singapore episode followed another recent race in which Lewis Hamilton discussed Ferrari’s strategy decisions after Sepang, but this time the driver made clear that responsibility for the outcome rested with him.
Lewis Hamilton accepts full responsibility for Ferrari strategy error
Lewis Hamilton later posted further comments on social media in addition to the statements released by Ferrari after the Singapore Grand Prix. The strategy ultimately saw him drop to sixth place and deprived Ferrari of seven points in the Constructors’ Championship.
“Yesterday we didn’t get the result we were hoping for, and the responsibility is entirely mine,” Lewis Hamilton said. “On a circuit where it is difficult to overtake, you have to try something different, and I chose a strategy that ultimately did not produce the result we hoped for.
“It is a painful lesson to learn, but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made. In this sport, not every choice works out. It is about accepting your mistakes and understanding how to move forward.”
Lewis Hamilton says sixth place did not reflect Ferrari’s pace
Despite accepting the blame, Lewis Hamilton stressed his appreciation for Ferrari and argued that the final result did not represent the performance available from the car in Singapore.
“I’m grateful to the team for the work they do every weekend. Sixth place doesn’t reflect the pace we had in the car and, despite the result, there are positives we can take from it.
“A huge thank you to the Singapore fans for the energy they gave us. I’ll keep pushing and I’ll be back fighting at the next race.”
More developments involving the seven-time world champion can be followed in the Lewis Hamilton Ferrari news section, while the wider context of the Marina Bay weekend is available in the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend guide.
Leave a Reply