Lewis Hamilton finishes the Singapore Grand Prix outside the points after a strategy call under a virtual safety car (VSC) and related setup and qualifying decisions leave Ferrari “wondering what could have been.” Sources report the VSC is triggered when Lance Stroll pulls aside with a suspected clutch issue around lap 39. Hamilton has already completed 21 laps on soft tyres and elects not to pit, then stays out for an extended 44-lap stint, dropping from third to sixth.
After the race, Hamilton acknowledges his decision cost him, while Ferrari team leadership also discusses what the team could have done differently. Charles Leclerc drives strongly to second place, but he and Ferrari deal with tyre degradation and differing pit and tyre approaches versus Red Bull. Additional coverage also points to earlier setbacks in qualifying and car behaviour, including Hamilton admitting a wrong SQ3 run plan choice and questioning whether a setup change went “too far.” Ferrari later faces pressure to review performance and upgrades as it analyses both driver calls and overall race execution.
