Lewis Hamilton has posted on Instagram to reiterate his apology to Ferrari after what he called a "painful lesson" at the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton overrode Ferrari's strategy while on course for a podium finish by opting not to pit for fresh tyres during a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period, leaving him vulnerable in the closing stages of the race.
He was overtaken by Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who did pit when the VSC came out, and was subsequently passed by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, plus McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as he dropped to sixth.
Hamilton was excused from media duties after the race as he felt unwell in the sweltering conditions, but released a statement via Ferrari. In his Instagram post on Monday, he wrote: "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." He also thanked the team and the fans in Singapore, adding that P6 did not reflect the pace the car had over the weekend.
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur stressed that the team should not be blamed. "It was clearly a mistake when you see the outcome, it was not a good call," he said, while adding that he respected the driver's feeling in the car.
Ferrari hoped to challenge Max Verstappen for victory, but Leclerc finished seven seconds behind the Dutchman. Vasseur admitted Ferrari "struggled more" than Red Bull in traffic, but said the top four teams are very close on pace.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing