Ferrari leaves the Singapore Grand Prix with a positive result but also a significant regret. Charles Leclerc’s second place confirmed the progress made by the SF-26 and gave the Maranello team a second consecutive podium after its result at Sepang. Ferrari also gained another 16 points on McLaren and strengthened second place in the Constructors’ Championship, increasing its advantage to 105 points. Even so, there was a clear feeling after the race that the overall result could have been even stronger.
Ferrari had a genuine opportunity to put both cars on the podium. That chance disappeared when Lewis Hamilton did not follow the pit wall’s instruction to stop during the Virtual Safety Car and instead remained on track. The decision proved costly, and the seven-time world champion accepted responsibility afterwards and apologised to the team.
Lewis Hamilton’s missed VSC stop costs Ferrari a bigger Singapore result
Fred Vasseur was unequivocal when asked about the strategy call involving Lewis Hamilton.
“We asked Lewis to stop,” Fred Vasseur clarified when responding to the numerous questions about the British driver’s strategy. “Don’t blame the team. You heard him on the radio, he apologised and said he had let us down and that it had been his decision. We were running second and third, we called both cars into the pits during the Virtual Safety Car, but Lewis preferred to stay out.”
It was a firm position from the Ferrari team principal. Fred Vasseur did not attempt to make excuses for his driver, although he also acknowledged how important it is to consider the feedback of the person actually driving the car.
“It was clearly a mistake. Looking at the result, it wasn’t a good decision. On the other hand, we are often told that we have to listen to the drivers, because they are the ones driving and they know the condition of the tyres. We have to respect their feelings as well, but in this case it was obvious to me what the correct choice was.”
The incident weighed heavily on Lewis Hamilton’s weekend after the British driver had looked in excellent form from the opening sessions. He had the pace to contribute to a major result for Ferrari, but the decision to continue without stopping compromised his chances of finishing third. To his credit, Lewis Hamilton immediately accepted responsibility rather than searching for excuses, although questions remain over exactly why he initially chose not to follow the team’s instruction.
Staying out initially allowed Lewis Hamilton to move ahead of Charles Leclerc, but taking one set of Soft tyres to 47 laps was always likely to become increasingly difficult. One possibility is that the gamble was influenced by the prospect of a full Safety Car, which would have been the main scenario in which remaining on track could have paid off. Whatever the reasoning, it is an episode Ferrari will need to clarify internally.
The strategic sequence can also be viewed in the wider context of Ferrari’s pit-stop and strategy data, particularly given how decisive the Virtual Safety Car window proved at Marina Bay.
“Today’s result is not what we were looking for and the responsibility is mine,” Lewis Hamilton admitted. “On a track where it is difficult to overtake, you have to try something different. I chose to start on new Medium tyres to extend the stint and attempt a one-stop strategy. Unfortunately, the Medium did not perform as well as the Soft.”
“I had a good second stint and found the pace again, but I wasn’t able to recover the positions I needed. During the Virtual Safety Car the team called me into the pits, but I missed the entry. At that point I decided to stay out and defend the position until the end, but in the closing laps I suffered enormously from tyre degradation and lost three positions, finishing sixth: a result that does not reflect the potential of our car today.”
“It was a tough lesson, but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made. Not every choice turns out to be a winning one and I accept that I got it wrong, but I’m sorry for the team about the points we lost today. They work hard every weekend and I would have liked to give them a better result. I’ll continue to give everything and come back fighting at the next race.”
Charles Leclerc converts the SF-26’s potential into second place
The strongest part of Ferrari’s Singapore weekend came from Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver produced a solid race, remained Max Verstappen’s main challenger and tried to put pressure on the Red Bull driver from the opening metres. The start itself was probably the decisive moment of the race.
Charles Leclerc launched better than Max Verstappen and managed to draw alongside the Red Bull before the first corner. Max Verstappen then moved firmly to the left, forcing Charles Leclerc towards the kerb marking the exit of the pit lane. By the time they reached the braking zone, Max Verstappen had created enough space to approach Turn 1 ahead.
“I saw that Max had a slightly difficult start, while mine was good,” Charles Leclerc explained. “I got alongside him, but then the space became very limited. I would have done exactly the same thing in his position. I was on the left, slightly behind, and I couldn’t see the braking references that are normally on the right. I tried to assess the situation as well as possible, but Max managed to keep first place.”
Charles Leclerc had further opportunities during the opening laps, helped by problems with electrical energy deployment on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. However, the Ferrari driver chose not to fully use his own battery because he believed Max Verstappen’s difficulties were temporary.
“Maybe that was a mistake. By the time I realised Max no longer had power at the end of the straight, it was already too late to use my energy. I don’t know how much it would have changed things, maybe it could have helped me in the first stint, but I think in the end they still had too much margin.”
Second place nevertheless represented a valuable result, particularly considering the characteristics of the Marina Bay circuit. Singapore is especially demanding on the rear tyres, an area that continues to represent one of the SF-26’s weaknesses. It was a characteristic that had already encouraged Charles Leclerc to experiment with an extreme rear-end set-up during the Sprint, while in the Grand Prix it made extending tyre life particularly difficult.
That rear-tyre challenge was one of the reasons Max Verstappen was able to maintain enough of an advantage to control the race. Readers can explore the compound and stint patterns in greater detail through the F1 Tyre & Stint Analysis.
Fred Vasseur explains why track position mattered so much
Fred Vasseur also highlighted how important track position was at Singapore, particularly because following another car remained difficult even when the gap was two or three seconds.
“I don’t have a crystal ball to know what would have happened if we had been one metre ahead into the first corner,” the Ferrari team principal explained. “But when two cars have similar strategies and tyres, you need an advantage of one second or one and a half seconds to overtake. At Singapore that would never have been possible between two cars that were so close in performance.”
Ferrari therefore leaves Singapore with encouraging signs, even if Charles Leclerc warned against assuming that the difficulties seen in recent races have been completely solved. The result nevertheless represents a notable improvement compared with the recent trend and adds another podium to a strong sequence for the Maranello team.
“I’m pleased, but not particularly happy. Second place is a good result considering the trend of the last few races, where we were missing a little performance. Yesterday in qualifying we were competitive and today Max had something more, as we expected, but maybe we were also closer than expected. I believed until the end, unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”
The result also continues a positive run after Ferrari’s previous podium at Sepang, while the team’s broader Singapore preparations had already highlighted the importance of balancing traction and rear-tyre management at the demanding Marina Bay circuit.
Ferrari now turns to important Austin upgrades
The next major test will arrive in Austin, where Ferrari is set to introduce new upgrades. It will be an important step in understanding whether the SF-26 can achieve more consistent performance, especially in rear-end management, without compromising the strengths that have emerged over recent weeks.
“We introduced a few small components that perhaps helped us make a step forward,” Charles Leclerc explained. “But we can’t forget that in the previous races we were losing ground compared with Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren. In the end, what will matter is who manages to bring the upgrades before the others and, above all, who makes the biggest step forward.”
The evolution of the SF-26 remains one of the key themes of Ferrari’s season, particularly as the team searches for greater consistency across different circuit characteristics. Further developments concerning the car can be followed through ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
Fred Vasseur shares the view that the competitive order between Formula 1’s four leading teams could change very quickly. Red Bull has made significant progress over the most recent races, but the Ferrari team principal does not believe it has established itself as the undisputed benchmark.
“We have four teams that are very close and one upgrade is enough to change the hierarchy. We will bring new parts as well, but so will the others. The most important thing is to stay focused on ourselves.”
Ferrari strengthens second place in the Constructors’ Championship
Singapore therefore leaves Ferrari with a two-sided assessment. On one hand, the SF-26 confirmed a return to stronger competitiveness, Charles Leclerc secured the team’s second consecutive podium and Ferrari extended its advantage over McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship after gaining another 16 points during the weekend.
The gap over McLaren now stands at 105 points, giving Ferrari an increasingly solid hold on second place. At the same time, the missed opportunity with Lewis Hamilton prevented what could have been an even more significant team result. The British driver’s sixth place means Ferrari leaves Marina Bay satisfied with its overall progress but aware that more points had been available.
The SF-26 showed that it can be competitive, but Ferrari still does not appear to have enough margin to challenge Max Verstappen consistently. With the Formula 1 competitive order changing rapidly from one weekend to another, leaving a seemingly achievable podium on the table is precisely the kind of missed opportunity the Maranello team would have preferred to avoid.
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