Hamilton Admits Strategy Mistake in Singapore Sprint Qualifying, Ferrari Loses Momentum

Lewis Hamilton bore the consequences of his own decision after failing to deliver his best in the sprint qualifying session (SQ3) of the Formula 1 Singapore GP. The Ferrari driver admitted that the strategy of going out in the middle of the eight-minute session was not the right choice, and he had to settle for starting from sixth place with a time 0.546 seconds behind fastest man Max Verstappen.

Ferrari had actually shown positive signs in the two previous phases. Charles Leclerc topped Q2, while Hamilton clung closely behind him with a gap of just three tenths of a second. However, when the rules required all cars to switch from medium to soft tires, the Maranello-based team took a different strategy. While McLaren and Mercedes bolted out from the start of the session, and Red Bull chose to wait until the final minutes, Leclerc and Hamilton went out in the middle of the window. Leclerc got a second chance after a warm-up lap, but Hamilton had only one attempt that ended in disappointment.

"I think it was my decision, and we got it wrong," Hamilton said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. "The car was very oversteery on that lap. The rear wasn't ready or maybe it was overheating, it's hard to say, but it was very difficult to control. The lap wasn't good overall."

Hamilton also admitted that on the medium tires the car felt comfortable, but once he switched to the softs, the balance changed drastically. Grip was only felt at the front, while the rear lost traction. "I had pace in the first two sessions, then suddenly I couldn't extract it. There was no grip at the rear, so that was it," he added.

On the other side, Leclerc was unwilling to blame strategy as the main reason. He believed the raw performance of the Ferrari car had declined over the last three or four races. "Honestly, that's not the reason. We are simply not fast enough to fight them at the moment," Leclerc said. "But there is still potential in this car. Tomorrow, with a few refinements, we can fight for pole. Not bad, we're just missing a little."

Leclerc also realized that starting from third in the sprint race is not an ideal position, especially on a street circuit like Marina Bay, which is notoriously difficult for overtaking. "On a track like this, you want to start from P1. Overtaking will be very difficult. But this is only a sprint race. We have to do the job tomorrow in qualifying," he stressed.

"We've been missing raw performance for the last three or four races. We are not fast enough to fight them." — Charles Leclerc

For Ferrari, this result is a heavy blow amid efforts to close the gap to their main rivals. The poor sprint qualifying forces Hamilton and Leclerc to work extra hard in the short race later. Meanwhile, Verstappen, who once again showed dominance in Singapore, is widening the gap in the drivers' standings. Red Bull appears to have found the right setup for the street circuit, while Ferrari is still grappling with car balance and strategy.

Hamilton's failure also highlights the importance of quick decision-making in the short sprint format. With a session time of only eight minutes, every second and every tire choice becomes crucial. The decision to go out mid-session, which may have been based on tire temperature calculations and track conditions, did not pay off. It is a valuable lesson for a team struggling to regain performance.

Looking ahead, the big question is whether Ferrari can bounce back in Sunday's main race. With the Marina Bay circuit demanding careful tire strategy and temperature management, the opportunity remains open if they can improve the car setup and avoid similar mistakes. However, if the performance decline continues, Ferrari's season could end without another world title.