Lewis Hamilton has explained why he ignored Ferrari’s instruction to pit for intermediate tyres during the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, revealing that he had previously been told the track conditions would remain stable. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion decided to stay out while chasing Liam Lawson, only to encounter a flooded Turn 1, spin and make light contact with the barriers. After losing two positions, he apologised to Ferrari but maintained that he had believed he could continue safely.
The incident marked another occasion when Lewis Hamilton chose not to follow an instruction from the Ferrari pit wall, following a similar episode in Singapore. It also raised further questions about communication and decision-making between the British driver and the team during rapidly changing race conditions.
Lewis Hamilton explains why he ignored Ferrari’s pit call in Brazil
Lewis Hamilton’s decision not to follow the radio instruction proved costly. While Ferrari had identified the increasingly heavy rain and called its driver into the pits, the seven-time world champion believed conditions were still manageable and decided to continue for another lap.
The result was a spin on his way back to the pits, accompanied by slight contact with the barriers, which further compromised an already disappointing race and cost him two positions.
Speaking afterwards, Lewis Hamilton explained that the information he had received earlier influenced his decision to remain on track, particularly because he was closing rapidly on Liam Lawson.
“Yes, it was really frustrating. Because, honestly, in those slippery conditions I was faster than Liam Lawson; I was catching him by about a second per lap. On the previous lap, they had told me that conditions would remain stable. So I thought, ‘OK, I can carry on.’ But just before the pit entry, they gave me the instruction to come in. I was right behind Liam Lawson and had just activated overtake mode. Thinking that conditions would remain unchanged, I told myself, ‘No, I’m not stopping on this lap.’ I was convinced I could continue.”
The episode highlighted the difficulty of making immediate strategic decisions during rapidly changing weather conditions, particularly on a circuit where tyre selection and stint management can have a decisive influence on race performance.
Lewis Hamilton reveals what happened at Turn 1 before apologising to Ferrari
The decision to remain on track quickly backfired when Lewis Hamilton reached the opening corner and discovered that the conditions had deteriorated much more severely than he had expected.
“Then, when I got to Turn 1, I found the track completely flooded. I hadn’t received that information. It was unfortunate. After that, I was just trying to get the car back to the pits. Fortunately, I didn’t leave the car in the wall. I’m sorry for the team. That said, I think the team did an excellent job throughout the weekend, even though we didn’t have the pace we wanted.”
His explanation suggested that the disagreement was not simply about whether to obey the pit instruction. Lewis Hamilton believed the weather information he had received justified continuing, while Ferrari had already recognised that the worsening rain required an immediate tyre change.
Nevertheless, the incident added to the debate surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with the Ferrari pit wall. Having also disregarded an instruction in Singapore, his willingness to make independent decisions has prompted questions about the authority of team principal Fred Vasseur and the effectiveness of communication between the driver and his engineers.
Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable start from P20 to P9 overshadowed by tyre problems
Despite the disappointment, Lewis Hamilton’s race had begun in spectacular fashion. Starting twentieth on the grid, the Ferrari driver climbed to ninth by the end of the opening lap, gaining eleven positions in an extraordinary recovery.
“Yes, I made a great start, a really excellent one. Unfortunately, though, we had problems with the tyres; today we struggled to keep them in the right temperature window. After the first few laps, the rear tyres started to give up, and the car began suffering from really significant oversteer. As a result, we couldn’t make any further progress.”
The initial recovery demonstrated that Lewis Hamilton could make significant gains in the difficult conditions, but Ferrari was unable to maintain that competitiveness as the stint progressed.
The British driver’s progression through the field, including his exceptional opening lap and subsequent loss of positions, can be examined using the F1 Race Position and Progression Tracker.
Ferrari’s tyre temperatures and pressures blamed for sudden loss of performance
Asked whether Ferrari’s rapid decline in competitiveness was related to tyre temperatures, Lewis Hamilton agreed that temperature management appeared to be a major factor.
“I think so, it was a temperature-related problem. When they go up, or the pressure increases… well, that’s what happens. We struggled throughout the weekend in terms of race pace. It’s a real shame. Things only improved slightly once we fitted the slick tyres.”
The problems with rear tyre performance and oversteer prevented Lewis Hamilton from building on his outstanding first lap, leaving the Ferrari driver unable to sustain his early progress. As the circuit began drying, Lewis Hamilton repeatedly pushed for an earlier switch from intermediate tyres to slicks, believing that an aggressive strategy could offer an opportunity to recover positions.
“I was struggling with the tyres, and the track seemed to be right in the transition phase. I thought that if we could fit them early and get them up to temperature, we could make up some ground. In the end, we fitted them, perhaps one lap later than I would have liked, but overall it went well. After that, though, overtaking became incredibly difficult…”
Lewis Hamilton reflects on battle with Charles Leclerc at Interlagos
The Brazilian Grand Prix also featured a wheel-to-wheel battle between the two Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Unlike some of their previous encounters, the pair respected each other during the fight, something Lewis Hamilton acknowledged when asked about the incident: “Yes, there was a moment when we were close to each other, and it was a good battle.”
The exchange offered a more positive perspective on the relationship between Ferrari’s two drivers after the tensions that had surrounded their previous encounters, including the disagreements between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton insists Ferrari must defend second place before focusing on 2027
With Mercedes having secured both world championships, Lewis Hamilton was also asked whether Ferrari should now turn its full attention towards preparing for the 2027 Formula 1 season.
However, the seven-time world champion made clear that securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship remains an important objective, particularly for the employees working at Ferrari’s Maranello factory.
“Well, we have to work hard to defend second place in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s an important result for all the people working at the factory; they really deserve it. So we have to keep pushing hard in the next few races. Of course, behind the scenes – and we’ll already be at the factory this week – we’ll start working on the direction we want to take for next year.”
Despite the disappointment of his Brazilian Grand Prix and the latest misunderstanding with the pit wall, Lewis Hamilton remains determined to help Ferrari achieve the best possible result this season while contributing to the team’s preparations for 2027.
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