Lewis Hamilton 'let down' Ferrari team with disastrous Singapore Grand Prix strategy error

Lewis Hamilton apologised to his Ferrari team after the end of the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday.

The seven-time champion got on the radio on the cooldown lap to take responsibility for a strategy call which left him out on a set of soft tyres for more than 40 laps to the end of the race.

Hamilton started the humid night race in third place, before his self-admitted strategy blunder saw him slide down the field to sixth on the old soft tyres in the last ten laps.

The damage looked to be over when Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris passed him for third and fourth with six laps remaining, but Oscar Piastri devoured a ten second gap in just five laps to get right on the back of the red car – passing the seven-time champion and pulling out another three and a half seconds before the chequered flag.

RESULTS: Singapore GP times and positions

Hamilton: I lost us valuable points

"Sorry boys, I let you down today with that strategy," he said post-race to his team. "My call, and I lost us valuable points. I'll try and make up for it in the next one. Great job with the pit stop though."

It was not entirely clear which part of the strategy call Hamilton was apologising for specifically – whether it was starting on the medium tyre, not pitting behind team-mate Charles Leclerc under a convenient virtual safety car, or deciding to stay out when it was clear that his tyres were falling off after that.

Unfortunately, the media was unable to clarify that with the Ferrari star after the race, with the 41-year-old reporting that he felt unwell after the race and being excused from his post-race duties after visiting FIA medics.

However, a statement later released by Hamilton via his team confirmed what Fred Vasseur had told the media – that the seven-time champ was apologising for not diving into the pits under the VSC, having been called in on the radio.

He said: "I had a good second stint and the pace was back, but I couldn’t make the progress I needed. Under VSC, the team called me in but I missed the [pit] entry."

Sunday marks the second time this weekend that the Brit has apologised for a strategy error, following his decision to go out in between the other two groups of drivers in sprint qualifying – meaning he only got one attempt at a fast lap, without getting the benefit of the very best track conditions in the dying seconds of the session.

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