Ferrari changed Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore Grand Prix strategy from Plan C to Plan B after the seven-time world champion told his engineer that he did not have any more pace available, with the switch followed by an early pit stop from third place on lap 19.
The exchange came with the Briton around 10 seconds behind the race leader and approximately six seconds adrift of team-mate Charles Leclerc. Ferrari initially indicated that Plan C required Hamilton to increase his pace, but when the British driver replied that he could not go any faster, the team immediately moved to Plan B.
Lewis Hamilton switches to Plan B after Ferrari radio exchange
Ferrari first informed Hamilton that he needed to pick up the pace if Plan C was to remain viable. Hamilton’s response was clear: he did not have any additional pace available. His engineer then confirmed that the team would switch to Plan B.
At that stage of the race, the precise operational meaning of Plan B had not yet been revealed. That became clearer on lap 19, when Hamilton was called into the pits from third place.
The stop represented an early change of direction in Ferrari’s race, with Hamilton fitted with the soft compound. On the information available at that point, the strategy appeared consistent with an unexpected two-stop approach rather than simply extending his opening stint.
Ferrari pits Hamilton from third on lap 19
Hamilton rejoined the race in seventh place after the stop, emerging behind Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls. That created an immediate obstacle for the Ferrari driver, because he no longer had completely clear track ahead despite moving onto the quicker soft tyre.
There was at least one useful element to the timing of the stop. Hamilton came back onto the circuit ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi, avoiding another car that could have complicated the opening phase of his new stint.
With Lawson further up the road, Hamilton had some clean air available immediately after leaving the pits. That gave him an opportunity to use the fresh soft tyres and begin reducing the gap before reaching the Racing Bulls driver.
Why Ferrari abandoned Plan C
The most significant element of the sequence was the link between Hamilton’s radio assessment and Ferrari’s immediate strategic response. Plan C required a pace level the driver did not believe he could provide, so the team abandoned that option rather than continuing with a target that was no longer considered realistic.
The subsequent stop on lap 19 showed that Plan B involved acting earlier and moving the Briton onto soft tyres while he was still running inside the leading group. It also meant surrendering his third-place track position temporarily and accepting traffic risk in exchange for the performance available on the fresher compound.
Hamilton had been six seconds behind Leclerc before the change and 10 seconds away from the lead, so Ferrari faced a decision over whether to continue the existing race shape or try a different route. The Plan B call provided the answer, placing Hamilton onto an alternative strategy as the Singapore Grand Prix entered its next phase.
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