Lewis Hamilton spent his time following the difficult Singapore Grand Prix pointing his finger not at his team, but at himself. The Ferrari driver finished sixth at the Marina Bay Circuit after he chose to disobey his team’s strategy and not pit when he was called to. While he didn’t attend post-race interviews due to him feeling unwell, he has now sent a message to fans via his Instagram.
While Max Verstappen took the win, Charles Leclerc proved there was performance in the Ferrari package as he finished second behind the Dutchman. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli rounded out the podium, but Hamilton arguably should have been there if it wasn’t for his choice of strategy.
“Yesterday wasn’t the result we were looking for, and that’s on me,” he posted. “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.
“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. 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.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP via Getty Images
What Actually Went Wrong on Sunday
Hamilton started third on the medium tyre and was the first driver to pit, switching to softs. When a Virtual Safety Car was called after Lance Stroll stopped on track, Ferrari told both drivers to box. Leclerc came in, but Hamilton told the team he preferred to stay out, then said he had missed the pit entry, opting instead to try to make a one-stop work. Leclerc, Antonelli and both McLarens passed him in the closing stages.
After the flag dropped, he apologised over the radio with “Sorry, boys… I let you down today with that strategy.” He added, “My call, and I lost us valuable points.”
The next chance to put it right comes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin from 23 to 25 October. Hamilton has told fans he will come back fighting. After a weekend like this one, he won’t be pulling his punches.
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