Hamilton explains Singapore call: stayed out in "split-second decision"
Lewis Hamilton said in Austin that he chose to stay out under the virtual safety car in Singapore, ignoring the pit wall's call. He finished sixth after running on course for third, and says he took responsibility and wants to avoid a repeat.
The explanation, ten days later
Lewis Hamilton finally gave his full account of the Singapore Grand Prix on Thursday 22 October, in the United States Grand Prix press conference. He had been excused from media duties after the race because he felt unwell, according to Crash.net, so this was the first time he explained his pit-stop decision in detail.
His version is clear: he did not miss the pit entry, he chose not to take it. The Race reports that the call from the Ferrari pit wall came under a virtual safety car, but Hamilton stayed out.
A "split-second decision"
Hamilton said he did not know whether team-mate Charles Leclerc was pitting, because Leclerc had only recently stopped. He called it a "split-second decision" and said he realised it was probably wrong as he reached the pit lane. He said he took responsibility.
The Race adds that the radio exchanges were not heard publicly because of broadcast feed problems, and that Ferrari's version is that Hamilton was told to pit at the same time as Leclerc.
The strategy behind it
Hamilton had started on a different strategy from Leclerc, running the medium tyre in the first stint. He said he did not want to simply copy his team-mate. The team expected Max Verstappen to be quicker, and the standard plan pointed to second and third, which Hamilton called "not enough for me", so he wanted options.
The medium did not last as he hoped. According to Crash.net, he lost significant time once he came out behind Leclerc, who was on the slower tyre, and compared it to Zandvoort. He said the next days were difficult and that he and Ferrari had talked about avoiding such mistakes. He also said he will "double the efforts".
By the numbers
Both outlets say Hamilton was on course for a podium and finished sixth; Crash.net says he expected third. Leclerc finished second, behind winner Verstappen. Our data shows Hamilton third in the championship on 214 points after 17 of 23 rounds, with one win (Barcelona) and five podiums. Leclerc is fourth on 191.
Ferrari's next chance is the United States Grand Prix in Austin, which starts on 25 October at 20:00 UTC.
