Lewis Hamilton would undoubtedly have signed up for a podium finish at his home race at Silverstone before the weekend began, especially given Ferrari’s expected struggles, which ultimately never materialised once the SF-26 hit the track.
A podium, but with regrets
Despite finishing on the podium, Lewis Hamilton was clearly not completely satisfied after the race. The disappointment came not only from losing second place after Ferrari called him into the pits under the Safety Car—expecting the race to restart before the chequered flag—but also, perhaps, from seeing his teammate Charles Leclerc claim victory.
At the same time, the fact that the Briton was disappointed with a podium finish—his fifth of the 2026 season—is actually an encouraging sign for Ferrari. Last year, during a hugely disappointing 2025 campaign, the seven-time world champion never reached the podium. Now, the expectations inside the team have clearly changed.
Hamilton: “I wouldn’t have stopped”
Hamilton was inevitably asked whether he regretted pitting under the Safety Car, the decision that ultimately cost him second place.
The Ferrari driver gave a characteristically blunt response: “What difference does it make? The team asked me to pit. I thought that by stopping I would keep my position. If they had told me, ‘You pit and you lose the position,’ I wouldn’t have done it.”
Hamilton also commented on the jump start that earned him a five-second penalty, which he served during his first pit stop.
“My hand just moved suddenly. I don’t really know where it went—I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t even tell my hand to do it. It happens. It’s only happened to me a handful of times in 380 race starts.”
Lewis Hamilton currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship on 147 points ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, 32 behind Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who leads the standings.
Leave a Reply