Martin Brundle has delivered his verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s costly decision to take his strategy into his own hands at Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton overrode Ferrari’s strategy and ignored the team’s order to follow team-mate Charles Leclerc into the pits under a virtual safety car, a decision which backfired and left him vulnerable in the closing stages of Sunday’s race.
The seven-time world champion had been on course for what appeared to be a certain podium finish but was overtaken by Leclerc, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as he dropped to sixth, having completed a mammoth 44-lap stint on soft tyres.
Hamilton immediately apologised to Ferrari after the race for “letting down” the team and admitted he had learned a “painful lesson” in Singapore.
Hamilton dropped from third to sixth in Singapore
Reflecting on Hamilton’s ultimately failed strategy, Brundle wrote: “Hamilton started on a fresh set of medium tyres but began to struggle as the race progressed.
“Appearing to be on a clear two-stop strategy, he pitted as early as Lap 18 for soft tyres. Bizarrely, he would not stop again, despite the opportunity to make a relatively cheap pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) when Lance Stroll’s stricken Aston Martin had to be cleared from the circuit.
“Hamilton then endured a relentless slide down the order, eventually losing fifth place to Oscar Piastri’s McLaren in the closing stages, despite the Australian having made an unscheduled stop for a slow puncture.
“After the race, it emerged that switching to a one-stop strategy, which required him to complete 44 laps on the same tyres, had been Hamilton’s own decision. He apologised to the team for the call.
“It is difficult to run a modern F1 car and manage the team’s strategy from behind the wheel, and the incident was telling. Ferrari had seemingly expected Hamilton to pit under the VSC.”
Lewis Hamilton lost what looked like a certain podium finish in Singapore
Hamilton was excused from his post-race media duties due to feeling unwell but posted a statement on social media reflecting on the Singapore Grand Prix on Monday.
"Yesterday wasn't the result we were looking for, and that's on me. At a track that's difficult to overtake, you need to try something different and I chose a strategy that ultimately didn't deliver," he said.
"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.
"I'm grateful to the team for the work they put in every weekend. P6 doesn't reflect the pace we had in the car over the weekend, and despite the result there are positives to take away.
"Massive thanks to the fans in Singapore for the energy. I'll continue to put the work in and come back fighting at the next race."
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