Lewis Hamilton has again addressed his costly Ferrari strategy mistake at the Singapore Grand Prix, explaining why he chose not to pit under the Virtual Safety Car and why he wanted to follow a different approach to Charles Leclerc. The British driver accepted full responsibility for a decision that turned a potential second-place finish into sixth and cost valuable points for both his own championship position and Ferrari’s campaign.
Lewis Hamilton had decided to remain on track during the Virtual Safety Car, hoping he could reach the end of the race without losing positions. It did not work out that way, and the seven-time Formula 1 world champion later accepted responsibility for the unsuccessful Singapore tyre gamble. The decision generated considerable discussion because it appeared that Lewis Hamilton had opted for the alternative strategy in an attempt to get ahead of Charles Leclerc, a move that ultimately failed.
Lewis Hamilton explains Ferrari Singapore strategy mistake
Speaking during Friday’s FIA press conference at the 2026 United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Lewis Hamilton gave a detailed explanation of what had happened in Singapore and the thinking behind his decision.
“First of all, I think you learn from these experiences, and it is rare for me to find myself in that situation. The days afterwards weren’t exactly the best, but you learn. From third on the grid I was looking for a way to win, and whenever possible I always try to do something different. And I wanted to run a different strategy, not the same as Charles, because otherwise we would have been one behind the other. The strategy had put us second and third, but for me that wasn’t enough. I wanted to have options and see what could be done if the tyres held on.”
Lewis Hamilton then explained that the opening part of the Grand Prix had already left him dissatisfied with how his race was developing.
“In the first stint I didn’t feel comfortable and then I came back out behind Charles, losing a lot of time behind him in a scenario a little similar to Zandvoort. I decided to stay out in a split second, even though I realised almost immediately that it was the wrong decision. But I admitted it, took responsibility and we move on.”
The Singapore episode placed Ferrari’s strategic decision-making under renewed scrutiny, particularly around pit-stop timing and the balance between instructions from the pit wall and a driver’s judgement from the cockpit. Ferrari’s broader stop timing and strategic patterns throughout the season can be explored through the Ferrari Pit Stop & Strategy Statistics.
Lewis Hamilton wants to keep challenging Ferrari’s conventions
Lewis Hamilton also returned to a subject that has become important during his time at Ferrari: his determination to push the team to question established methods rather than simply continue doing things as they have always been done. The issue has become especially relevant amid the wider debate over how Ferrari should balance driver input and pit-wall strategy.
“We’ve had good conversations behind the scenes about how we can improve together and how we can work together better. I genuinely believe that my job, rather than doing things the way they’ve always been done, is to continually challenge the team and myself. Constantly challenging conventions as well. And that’s ultimately how I got to where I am. I’m not going to back down. Sometimes things don’t go well and this was one of those times. But we win and lose as a team, and we carry the burden and the cost together.”
Although Lewis Hamilton remains determined to question Ferrari when he believes another approach could produce a better result, he acknowledged how difficult it was to accept that his Singapore decision had directly cost the team valuable points.
“It definitely hurts when I cost the team points. It’s not something that happens to me often, but I will redouble my efforts to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
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