Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore Grand Prix strategy left him unable to defend his position in the closing stages, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explaining how Ferrari’s tyre gamble ultimately helped Kimi Antonelli secure an unexpected podium finish. The seven-time world champion had been fighting for a strong result at Marina Bay, but his decision to remain on track during a virtual safety car period proved particularly costly.
The Briton eventually finished sixth, more than 45 seconds behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, after attempting the longest stint on soft tyres of any driver in the race. Wolff admitted Mercedes had not anticipated beating its former driver, particularly after Hamilton started alongside Antonelli on the second row of the grid.
How Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari strategy unravelled in Singapore
The two drivers approached the 62-lap Singapore Grand Prix with different objectives. Hamilton was initially targeting Max Verstappen and hoping to apply pressure through an alternative tyre strategy, while Antonelli’s priority was to collect valuable points for his championship campaign.
Ferrari started the Briton on the medium compound, hoping to create strategic opportunities against Verstappen. However, the yellow-marked tyres performed worse than expected, undermining the plan almost immediately.
Instead of extending his opening stint beyond those running on soft tyres, Hamilton stopped earlier than every driver who had started on the softer compound. That unexpected tyre behaviour complicated Ferrari’s race management and forced the team to reconsider its options.
Team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari had entered the Grand Prix with limited information after a weekend featuring just one practice session and a wet Sprint race. The unusual format made it more difficult to predict how the compounds would behave over longer distances.
The decisive moment arrived on lap 39, when a virtual safety car offered an opportunity to change tyres. Ferrari instructed Hamilton to pit, but the British driver remained on track, gaining track position over Charles Leclerc.
Although the decision provided an immediate positional advantage, it also committed Hamilton to an exceptionally demanding final stint on soft tyres. As the laps accumulated, the performance difference between his ageing rubber and the fresher tyres used by his rivals became increasingly significant.
Toto Wolff explains why Hamilton was unable to defend
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Toto Wolff acknowledged that Mercedes had achieved a better result than anticipated. The Austrian explained that the team had approached the race primarily focused on scoring points with Kimi Antonelli and had not expected the Italian to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Wolff praised Antonelli’s performance and described the closing stages as particularly exciting. He also noted that the Mercedes handled the circuit’s corners reasonably well, providing the team with useful information to examine before deciding its approach for Austin.
The Mercedes team principal believed Antonelli benefited from the battle involving Hamilton and Lando Norris. As the two drivers fought for position, the Italian was able to make progress before eventually overtaking both.
According to Wolff, Hamilton had become effectively defenceless because of the condition of his tyres. The Ferrari driver could no longer offer meaningful resistance once his rivals arrived with a significant grip advantage.
Norris had also remained on track during the virtual safety car period, but initially struggled to overtake Hamilton. Their battle allowed Antonelli to regain fourth place before the Mercedes driver moved ahead of Norris and subsequently passed Hamilton to secure the final podium position.
The Ferrari driver’s difficulties did not end there. Charles Leclerc, running on fresher tyres, was also able to recover the position Hamilton had gained through his earlier decision to stay out.
Both McLaren drivers ultimately finished ahead of Hamilton, leaving the Briton sixth at the chequered flag. After the race, he apologised to Ferrari over the team radio.
Unexpected tyre behaviour complicated Ferrari’s Singapore GP
Wolff also highlighted how difficult it had been for teams to understand the tyre picture during the opening phase of the race. He explained that the soft compound had lasted considerably longer than expected, whereas the medium tyres had failed to deliver the anticipated performance.
After approximately 15 to 20 laps, Mercedes still could not determine whether a one-stop or two-stop strategy would prove more effective. That uncertainty affected the strategic calculations throughout the field, particularly for teams attempting alternative approaches.
Ferrari’s decision to split its strategies reflected those unpredictable conditions. Wolff suggested the Italian team had believed Hamilton could make his approach work, but the outcome demonstrated that the gamble had failed.
The situation was particularly frustrating because Hamilton’s alternative starting compound had originally been intended to create an opportunity against Verstappen. Instead, the early weakness of the medium tyre and the extended final run on softs left him vulnerable to drivers on fresher rubber.
While Antonelli converted the circumstances into a podium finish, Hamilton’s strategy produced the opposite result. The Ferrari driver lost positions in the closing stages and finished more than 45 seconds behind Leclerc, illustrating the scale of the setback.
For the Maranello team, the Singapore Grand Prix underlined the importance of understanding tyre behaviour during a Sprint weekend, when limited practice running can make strategic decisions especially difficult. What began as an attempt to challenge Verstappen ultimately left Hamilton unable to protect his position as the race approached its conclusion.
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