Lewis Hamilton has apologised to Ferrari after overriding the team's pit-wall strategy during the Singapore Grand Prix, a decision that cost him a podium finish and pushed Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli to the verge of a maiden world title.

Ferrari had been set for a second and third-place finish through Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, but the seven-time champion slipped to sixth in the final laps after failing to pit under a mid-race virtual safety car. Struggling badly with tyre wear, he was overtaken by three cars before the chequered flag.

"Sorry, boys. I let you down today with that strategy," Hamilton told his team over the radio after the race. "My call, and I lost us valuable points. I'll try and make up for it in the next one."

Team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed Ferrari had instructed both cars to pit, but Hamilton chose to stay out. "Charles pitted. Lewis didn't want to pit because he... I don't know why. And then he realised it was the wrong call," Vasseur said, adding that he was not angry about the error. "I'm making mistakes, he's making mistakes, we're all making mistakes sometimes."

Hamilton skipped the post-race media pen, citing illness, but issued a statement explaining that he missed the VSC pit window and then opted to hold track position, only to be overwhelmed by tyre degradation. He said he had started the race on mediums in hopes of a one-stop strategy, but the compound underperformed compared with the soft tyre Leclerc later used. "A painful lesson, but I take full responsibility," he said, apologising again for the lost points.

Ferrari had kept Leclerc ahead of Hamilton on track despite Hamilton briefly running faster after his earlier stop, with Vasseur insisting Leclerc deserved priority after pitting six laps later.

The costly misstep leaves Mercedes' Antonelli, who finished third behind winner Max Verstappen and Leclerc, in position to clinch the championship at the next round in Austin. His lead over team-mate George Russell has grown to 102 points, and to 111 over Hamilton. The 20-year-old would become F1's youngest-ever champion if he secures the title with the right results at the US Grand Prix on 25 October.

"It's very close, I know it's there, but I just need to keep doing the best I can," Antonelli said, admitting he hadn't driven his best in Singapore.

Verstappen, who claimed his second successive win, said he had little left to fight for in the standings but remained focused on enjoying the remaining races, while also joking about the bumpy Austin circuit potentially requiring "a new spine."

Source: BBC

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