Hamilton takes full blame after Singapore strategy call costs Ferrari podium

Lewis Hamilton has publicly accepted responsibility for a costly strategic error at the Singapore Grand Prix, finishing sixth at Marina Bay after he failed to pit when Ferrari called him in during a virtual safety car period.

Max Verstappen took the victory, with Charles Leclerc crossing the line second to demonstrate that genuine pace existed in the Ferrari package. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium — a position Hamilton might have occupied had he followed his team’s instructions.

Hamilton missed the pit entry despite what Ferrari described as a “crystal clear” radio call. He subsequently switched to a medium compound tyre with the aim of completing the race on a single stop, a gamble that proved inferior to the soft compound strategy employed by the cars around him. Over the radio after the chequered flag, he told his engineers: “Sorry, boys… I let you down today with that strategy,” adding, “My call, and I lost us valuable points.”

Hamilton skipped post-race media duties after feeling unwell, but addressed fans directly through Instagram the following day.

“Yesterday wasn’t the result we were looking for, and that’s on me,” he wrote. “At a track that’s difficult to overtake you need to try something different, and I chose a strategy that ultimately didn’t deliver. It’s a painful lesson to learn, but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made. In this sport, not every call will work out. It’s about accepting when you get it wrong and how you move forward.”

The seven-time world champion was measured rather than deflective in his assessment, acknowledging the gap between the car’s underlying pace and the result it produced. “P6 doesn’t reflect the pace we had in the car, and despite the result there are positives to take away,” he added, also thanking the Singapore crowd for their support.

Hamilton’s next opportunity to respond comes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin from 23 to 25 October.