Lewis Hamilton admitted to making a strategic error during the Singapore Grand Prix, where he chose to stay on track rather than pit under the Virtual Safety Car, a decision he describes as a “painful lesson.”
Starting from third place on medium tires, Hamilton made his first stop to switch to soft tires. When a Virtual Safety Car was deployed, his team instructed him to pit, but he missed the pit entry and ultimately decided to remain on track to attempt a one-stop strategy.
This decision proved costly, as Hamilton suffered from tire degradation towards the end of the race, losing several positions to finish sixth—a result that did not reflect the performance of his car.
In a statement, Hamilton took “full responsibility” for the choice: “This is not the result we were aiming for, and it is my fault. I wanted to try something different on a circuit that is difficult to overtake on, but the medium tire did not perform well. I am sorry to the team for the points lost today.”
He also mentioned being examined by the FIA medical team after the race, having felt unwell.
Hamilton concluded by promising to work hard to come back stronger at the next race.