Hamilton apologises to Ferrari after Dutch GP radio outbursts: 'Not the best version of me'

Lewis Hamilton took to social media after the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort to apologise to his Ferrari team for a series of heated radio exchanges during the race, acknowledging that his on-track frustration had got the better of him.

“I’ve listened back to some of my radio and TV comments. In the heat of the moment frustration can come out, especially when you care as deeply as I do,” Hamilton wrote. “But that wasn’t the best version of me. I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better.”

The outbursts came during the second half of the race, when Hamilton found himself stuck behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was running on older, slower tyres. With Ferrari offering little in the way of strategy updates, Hamilton’s patience wore thin. “Great way of wasting time guys, good job,” he fired sarcastically over the radio once Leclerc finally pitted on lap 43.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur later explained that the situation was more nuanced than it appeared. The team had planned to bring Leclerc in earlier but extended his stint by a lap to avoid traffic, while Hamilton’s strategy was always to run to the end of the race. Crucially, Vasseur said Ferrari deliberately withheld strategy details over the radio to avoid tipping off rival teams.

After the race, Hamilton had pointed to Mercedes’ seamless driver swap between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as a benchmark for race weekend execution — a comment that underlined his frustration with Ferrari’s communication. His subsequent apology, however, struck a markedly different tone.

“That passion comes from believing in this team, the people in it, and what we’re building together. The direction is clear. The belief is there. And the fight is absolutely still on,” he added.

The seven-time world champion was keen to credit Ferrari’s ongoing upgrade programme, which has already delivered a grand prix victory for both him and Leclerc this season. Hamilton currently sits third in the drivers’ championship, level on points with second-placed Russell.

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone back at the factory who continues to bring updates, find performance and push us forward,” Hamilton said. “To the team at the track, thank you. The commitment and effort never go unnoticed. We still have work to do, particularly over one lap, but we’ll keep digging in, learning and improving together.”

Hamilton and Leclerc ultimately finished fourth and fifth at Zandvoort, with a late virtual safety car helping Russell hold on for third place and deny Ferrari a podium finish.