Vasseur gives conflicting account of Hamilton’s missed Ferrari pit stop
Ferrari team principal admits confusion over costly Virtual Safety Car incident at Singapore Grand Prix
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has offered conflicting explanations for Lewis Hamilton’s failure to pit during the Singapore Grand Prix, leaving questions over whether the seven-time world champion missed the pit entry or chose to ignore the team’s instruction. The incident cost Hamilton a potential podium finish as Ferrari secured second and sixth places at Marina Bay.
Ferrari nevertheless emerged from the Singapore weekend with encouraging results, having demonstrated competitive pace in contrasting conditions.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finished second and third in Saturday’s wet Sprint before securing the same positions in qualifying for the Grand Prix.
Leclerc went on to finish runner-up behind Max Verstappen, while Hamilton slipped to sixth after losing several positions in the closing stages.
Despite the missed opportunity, Vasseur believes Ferrari delivered a strong overall performance, although he acknowledged that Red Bull retained a slight advantage.
« Overall, it was a good weekend. We finished second and third yesterday in the wet Sprint, second and third in qualifying, and second today, and we weren’t far from finishing third with Lewis as well, » Vasseur said.
« I think that, over the weekend as a whole, Max was a little quicker than us, and that’s something we need to try to close. But overall, the team and both drivers delivered strong performances, and it’s a good result for us. »
Ferrari split strategies to challenge Verstappen
One of Ferrari’s key decisions concerned tyre selection at the start of the Grand Prix.
With Leclerc and Hamilton lining up second and third, the team opted to split its strategies, with Hamilton starting on medium tyres in an attempt to create alternative opportunities against Verstappen.
Vasseur explained that the decision was partly designed to improve Leclerc’s chances of challenging the Red Bull driver at the start.
« Track position is key, and the start is key. We decided to split the strategies to help Charles attack Max at the start. He was very close, but it didn’t happen, and we also need to do a better job in qualifying. »
The decision came with considerable uncertainty, however, as teams had limited information about tyre performance heading into the race.
Singapore’s Sprint format allowed just one free practice session, while wet conditions during Saturday’s shorter race prevented teams from gathering meaningful long-run data on dry-weather compounds.
Vasseur explained that teams had preserved their hard tyres for the Grand Prix, expecting to learn more about tyre behaviour during the Sprint. Instead, the wet conditions forced everyone onto intermediates.
« I think the main problem was the same for everybody. On the grid, it was 50-50. In free practice, you don’t do many laps, and we all ran on the hard tyres that we didn’t want to use too much because we wanted to save them for the race.
« We thought we could do a long run during the Sprint, but it was run on intermediates. So I think we all started the Grand Prix completely blind when it came to the tyres. »
Medium tyres compromise Hamilton’s opening stint
The opening stages of the Grand Prix quickly revealed that the soft compound offered a significant performance advantage over the mediums.
That particularly affected Hamilton, who struggled to match the pace of his rivals during the early part of the race.
Although his performance improved as the stint progressed, Ferrari’s alternative approach failed to deliver the intended advantage.
« I think today the softs were much better than the mediums. That’s why Lewis started to struggle at the beginning, a little less towards the end, » Vasseur explained.
« But yes, I think we were all in the same situation, starting the race somewhat blind. And it’s true that, with our two cars second and third, it was a good opportunity to try different options to fight Max. »
Ferrari’s decision was therefore not simply about finding the fastest individual strategy for each driver. It was also intended to create tactical opportunities against a Red Bull that appeared marginally quicker throughout the weekend.
Despite Hamilton starting on mediums, Ferrari had not committed exclusively to a one-stop strategy.
The team retained the flexibility to make a second stop if race circumstances made it advantageous.
« We had kept both options open, depending on the Virtual Safety Car and other circumstances, » Vasseur confirmed.
Vasseur’s explanation raises questions over Hamilton’s decision
That opportunity eventually arrived during the closing stages, when a Virtual Safety Car period offered Ferrari the chance to change tyres while minimising the time lost in the pit lane.
At that point, the two Ferrari drivers occupied second and third positions behind Verstappen.
Leclerc responded to the team’s instruction and completed his second stop. Hamilton, however, remained on track.
Speaking after the race, Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari had instructed both drivers to pit.
« Yes, we asked him to pit. We asked both of them to stop, which would have allowed us to finish second and third, because those were the positions we were running in.
« But he didn’t take the pit entry and, frankly, it’s a bit of a shame, because he also lost a podium. »
When asked to clarify what had happened, Vasseur initially suggested Hamilton had expressed a preference to remain on track before immediately correcting himself.
« We called both cars: ‘Guys, you’re pitting under the VSC.’ Lewis said: ‘No, I prefer to stay out.’ Well, that’s not what he said; he said: ‘I missed the pit entry.’ Don’t blame the team. »
The exchange highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the incident.
Vasseur’s initial account appeared to suggest Hamilton had deliberately chosen to remain on track, while his subsequent correction indicated that the driver had missed the pit entry.
What remained consistent in the Ferrari team principal’s explanation was that the instruction to pit had been issued to both drivers.
Hamilton loses three positions in the closing laps
The consequences of Hamilton remaining on track became increasingly apparent as the race approached its conclusion.
Leclerc benefited from fresher tyres and moved ahead of his teammate, while Hamilton’s deteriorating rubber left him vulnerable to the drivers behind.
Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri also overtook the Ferrari driver, leaving him sixth at the chequered flag.
For Vasseur, the disappointment was particularly significant because Ferrari appeared to have an opportunity to secure a double podium despite Verstappen’s superior pace.
Hamilton had already acknowledged his responsibility over team radio after the race, apologising for the strategic decision and the points lost.
Vasseur, however, was reluctant to prolong the discussion or turn the incident into an internal controversy.
« It was perfectly clear on the radio. But now, let’s focus on Austin and on performance. Lewis’s performance this weekend was decent, » he said.
« He apologised on the slowing-down lap and acknowledged that it was a mistake. It’s a bit of a shame because it would have allowed us to extend the gap to our competitors. But he apologised, and we need to turn the page and look towards the next race.
« We need to focus on the future. »
Ferrari turns its attention to Austin
Despite the frustration surrounding Hamilton’s late-race strategy, Ferrari leaves Singapore with evidence of improved competitiveness.
The team secured strong results in both wet and dry conditions, with Leclerc’s second-place finish confirming its ability to challenge near the front.
However, the missed pit-stop opportunity underlined how costly a single decision can become when the margins between the leading teams are narrow.
Vasseur’s comments also leave an unresolved question over the precise sequence of events that prevented Hamilton from taking advantage of the Virtual Safety Car.
While Ferrari insists the instruction was clear and Hamilton has accepted responsibility, the team principal’s contradictory wording has done little to remove the uncertainty surrounding the incident.
For Ferrari, the priority now is to build on its Singapore performance and close the remaining gap to Verstappen and Red Bull as the championship heads to Austin.
