Lewis Hamilton explains his failed “split-second” Singapore strategy gamble

Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his “split-second" strategy gamble at the Singapore Grand Prix that ultimately backfired. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton looked on course for a likely third place in Singapore but ultimately finished sixth after he overrode a call from Ferrari’s pit wall to follow team-mate Charles Leclerc into the pits under a virtual safety car. 

Hamilton apologised for the error of judgement over team radio immediately after the race and admitted he had learned a “painful lesson” in a social media post the following day. 

The 41-year-old Briton was excused from his media duties after the race due to feeling unwell, meaning Thursday at the United States Grand Prix marked the first proper opportunity for Hamilton to fully explain his actions. 

“First, you learn from these experiences. It’s rare that I find myself in that position. Of course, the next couple of days didn't feel so great, but you live and you learn,” Hamilton said in the drivers’ press conference in Austin. 

“When I was lining up on [the] grid, when I knew I was going to be third, I'm always looking at ways to win. I'm always looking at doing potentially something different, and I wanted to be on a different strategy… not just the same strategy as Charles, where we just follow each other. 

“We assumed Max would be potentially quicker, and the strategy kind of showed just us finishing second and third, and that's not enough for me. I wanted to have options and see what could be possible. If the medium tyre could last longer, maybe could go deeper into the race. But it wasn't the case when I got going, and it didn't feel great in that first stint. 

“And then obviously coming out behind Charles and losing a lot of time, ultimately, with him on a slower tyre, which I was on at the beginning, and I had the pace on the soft. It was a bit of a similar scenario maybe to Zandvoort. 

“I was coming towards the pit lane entry and I didn't know if Charles was coming in because I think just recently he had stopped, and in a split-second decision, I decided to stay out. And as soon as I was alongside the pit lane, I realised it's probably the wrong decision. But I owned up to it, took responsibility for it, and you move on.”

While vowing to learn from his mistake, Hamilton stressed he will endeavour to “continuously challenge the team and the norms” at Ferrari amid his bid to take the Scuderia back to winning ways in F1. 

“We've had good conversations in the background of how we can do better together, how we can collaborate better. But I think that nothing's changed in terms of how well we work together in the background,” Hamilton added. 

“I truly believe my job is, rather than to follow suit always, is to continuously challenge the team and myself included, and just constantly challenging the norms. And that's ultimately how I've got to where I am, and I will not shy away from that. 

"Sometimes it doesn't go well, and that was one of those. But you live to fight another day, and we win and we lose as a team, so we carry the weight and the costs together. It definitely hurts when I lose points for the team, it's not something I do very often, but I’ll double the efforts to make sure that doesn't happen again.”