Hamilton Apologizes to Ferrari After Costly Singapore GP Strategy

Ferrari lost a potential double podium at the Singapore Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton rejected a pit stop opportunity during a Virtual Safety Car period, dropping from third to sixth on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The seven-time world champion accepted responsibility for the decision and apologized to his team after the 62-lap race at Marina Bay Street Circuit.

According to Sky Sports, Hamilton was running third behind teammate Charles Leclerc on lap 39 when the Virtual Safety Car created an opportunity to change tires. Ferrari instructed both drivers to pit, but Hamilton missed the pit entry and subsequently chose to remain on track. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri passed him in the closing laps as his tires deteriorated.

The sixth-place finish left Hamilton 111 points behind championship leader Antonelli, while his advantage over race winner Max Verstappen narrowed to eight points, according to Sky Sports.

Hamilton acknowledged the consequences of his decision over team radio after the finish.

"Sorry boys. I let you down today with that strategy."

He accepted that the call had affected Ferrari's result.

"My call, and I lost us valuable points."

Hamilton also promised to respond at the next race.

"I'll try and make up for it in the next one."

In a statement released through Ferrari, Hamilton explained that his tire strategy had not delivered the expected performance. He started on medium tires and aimed to extend his first stint, hoping to make a one-stop strategy work on a circuit where overtaking is difficult.

"Today wasn't the result we were looking for and it was on me. At a track that's difficult to overtake, you need to try something different and I chose to start on a new medium tyre, to go long and try to make a one-stop work. Unfortunately the Medium didn't perform as well as the soft."

Hamilton said his pace improved during the second stint, but he could not recover the positions he had lost. After missing the pit entry during the Virtual Safety Car, he stayed out to protect his track position, only to struggle with tire degradation toward the finish.

"I had a good second stint and the pace was back, but I couldn't make the progress I needed. Under the VSC, the team called me in but I missed the entry. After that, I decided to stay out and try to hold track position to the end but in the closing laps, I was struggling massively with tyre degradation and lost three places, finishing P6, which doesn't reflect the pace we had in the car today."

He accepted responsibility for the outcome and apologized for the points Ferrari had surrendered.

"A painful lesson today, but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made. Not every call will work out, and I can accept getting it wrong but I'm sorry for the team for the points we lost today. They put so much into every weekend, and I wanted to deliver more for them."

Hamilton said he would continue working ahead of the next round.

"I'll continue to put the work in and come back fighting at the next race"

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed that the team had instructed Hamilton to pit alongside Leclerc. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said the team had expected both cars to retain their second- and third-place positions had the strategy unfolded as planned.

"We called him, we called them both to pit," Vasseur said.

Vasseur said Hamilton's missed pit entry had cost him the opportunity to fight for a podium. He added that Ferrari needed to focus on the upcoming race in Austin.

"It would have been P2-P3 because we were P2-P3 on track, and he missed the pit entry, and honestly it's a bit of a shame because he's losing a podium also."

Vasseur said Ferrari had entered the race without a clear understanding of which tire compound would perform best because Saturday's Sprint took place in wet conditions on intermediate tires. The team split its drivers' strategies in an effort to challenge Verstappen, who won from pole position.

"Today the soft was much better than the medium. That's why Lewis struggled at the beginning and a bit less at the end."

Vasseur said the uncertain tire performance had influenced the team's approach.

"I think we were all in the same situation starting the race a bit blind, and it's true that for us with the two cars second and third, it was a good opportunity to take different options to fight with Max."

Hamilton's post-race difficulties extended beyond the result. Motorsport.com reported that the British driver felt unwell after the physically demanding race in Singapore's extreme heat and humidity. Ferrari confirmed that he was examined by the FIA medical team, and he received permission to skip his mandatory media duties.

Sky Sports F1 analyst Naomi Schiff also questioned the state of the relationship between Hamilton and Ferrari, pointing to disagreements over strategy during the season. She suggested that earlier decisions had contributed to the driver's willingness to challenge instructions from the pit wall.

"I'm not that surprised though. I think that they've sort of lost trust with each other on making the right decisions in certain circumstances. Do you blame Lewis today?

Yes, maybe he made the wrong call. But do you blame the team last week? Yes, they made the wrong call then.

So, I understand why Lewis is challenging them because he's not always confident that they're going to make the right decision."

Schiff also noted that Hamilton had been frustrated by losing time behind Leclerc earlier in the race. Their different starting tire compounds had produced contrasting strategies, while the soft tire ultimately proved more competitive than the medium compound under the conditions.

Hamilton's next opportunity to recover the lost points comes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where Ferrari will seek to improve its performance following the Singapore setback.