The controversy centres on Hamilton’s missed pit stop during a Virtual Safety Car period. The Briton stayed out despite being instructed to pit, and severe tyre degradation subsequently saw him slip from a potential podium finish to sixth place. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described the decision as a mistake, while Hamilton accepted responsibility for the outcome.
Schiff raises concerns over trust between Hamilton and Ferrari
For Naomi Schiff, there may be more to the incident than a simple misjudgement. Speaking during Sky Sports’ post-race analysis, the former racing driver pointed to previous disagreements over strategy between Hamilton and Ferrari.
In her view, the driver and team may have lost some confidence in each other when it comes to crucial decisions. Hamilton has already experienced several occasions this season when Ferrari’s strategic calls have worked against him. Schiff therefore understands why he might have been more inclined to trust his own judgement in Singapore.
She also highlighted Hamilton’s frustration at being stuck behind Leclerc. After his early switch to soft tyres, Hamilton was unable to make full use of their potential because his team-mate was ahead of him and Ferrari had instructed him to maintain a gap.
Schiff believes this may also have influenced Hamilton’s decision to stay out, as he wanted to avoid finding himself trapped behind Leclerc again.
Button disagrees: Hamilton was simply taking a gamble
Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion who raced alongside Hamilton at McLaren between 2010 and 2012, sees the situation differently.
The Briton firmly rejected Schiff’s suggestion that the incident reflected a lack of trust. In his view, Hamilton simply wanted to try an alternative strategy and believed his tyres would last until the chequered flag.
Hamilton knew what pace he could achieve on the soft compound and did not want to spend the remainder of the race behind Leclerc. According to Button, the fact that the gamble failed does not necessarily indicate a breakdown of confidence in Ferrari’s pit wall.
Button also praised the way Hamilton handled the setback. The seven-time world champion apologised to his team immediately after the race and accepted responsibility rather than shifting the blame onto Ferrari.
Missed pit stop costs Hamilton a podium finish
Regardless of how Hamilton’s motives are interpreted, the sequence of events is clear. When Lance Stroll retired on lap 39, triggering a Virtual Safety Car period, Ferrari planned to bring both drivers into the pits in quick succession.
Pitting under Virtual Safety Car conditions offers a significant advantage because the other cars must reduce their speed. Leclerc followed the instruction and changed tyres, but Hamilton remained on track.
There are differing accounts of exactly what happened. Vasseur explained that Ferrari had instructed both drivers to pit. Hamilton later said he had initially missed the pit entry before deciding to defend his position until the end of the race.
That decision proved costly. Hamilton was forced to complete a stint of around 44 laps on soft tyres, and his pace deteriorated dramatically in the closing stages. After Leclerc had already passed him on fresher tyres, Hamilton lost three further positions to Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Instead of securing the hoped-for third place, Hamilton crossed the line in sixth. Leclerc finished second behind race winner Max Verstappen, with Antonelli completing the podium.
Vasseur calls it a mistake as Hamilton takes responsibility
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur made it clear after the race that the team had intended to bring both cars into the pits. He believes Ferrari could have secured second and third places had the planned strategy been followed.
At the same time, the Frenchman defended the principle of allowing drivers to contribute their own judgement to strategic decisions. After all, they have a direct feel for how their tyres are performing. On this occasion, however, Vasseur acknowledged that Hamilton had made the wrong call.
Hamilton, meanwhile, avoided any criticism of Ferrari. The 41-year-old described the failed gamble as a painful lesson and reiterated on Instagram on Monday that he took full responsibility for his decisions.
