Lewis Hamilton has issued a statement explaining his ultimately costly decision to ignore Ferrari’s order to pit during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion appeared on course to secure third place but Hamilton’s race unravelled when he took it upon himself to try and last it out on a mammoth 44-lap stint on soft tyres.
Hamilton ignored a call from Ferrari’s pit wall to follow team-mate Charles Leclerc into the pits under a virtual safety car period. The move proved disastrous for the 41-year-old Briton, who tumbled off the podium and finished sixth.
After crossing the line, Hamilton immediately apologised to Ferrari for “letting down” his team. Hamilton was excused from his usual media duties after feeling unwell after the race, meaning we did not get an explanation for his thinking.
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Ferrari offered some quotes on behalf of Hamilton, who acknowledged he had learned a “painful lesson” in going against his team.
Hamilton addressed the matter for the first time publicly on Monday in a post on social media, where he admitted the result was “on me”.
“Yesterday wasn’t the result we were looking for, and that’s on me,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
Hamilton finished a lowly sixth after his strategy call backfired
Hamilton vowed to come back stronger at the next race at the United States Grand Prix, which takes place between 23-25 October.
“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, and despite the result there are positives to take away,” he added.
“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.”
The result leaves Hamilton just eighth points clear of Max Verstappen in third place in the championship standings after the Red Bull driver secured a dominant second consecutive victory.
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