Hamilton takes responsibility after qualifying sixth in Singapore

Lewis Hamilton said his choice of run plan contributed to a poor final segment in Singapore Sprint qualifying, leaving him sixth on the grid while Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified third. Hamilton also described severe rear instability on soft tyres, but said he could not identify its precise cause. Hamilton had looked competitive during the opening two parts of qualifying, running on medium tyres. In SQ3, the final shootout, Ferrari took a different approach from some rivals. Hamilton said the run plan was his decision and that he believed he had got it wrong. He completed one flying lap, according to reports, while Leclerc qualified third. The handling problem emerged when Hamilton switched to soft tyres. He described the Ferrari as very oversteery and said he had grip at the front but not at the rear, unlike on the mediums. He said it was difficult to tell whether the rear tyres were not ready, were overheating, or whether the issue involved the car’s balance. No technical diagnosis was provided in the available accounts. Hamilton’s sixth place put him behind Leclerc, who secured third for the Singapore Sprint. Max Verstappen took pole, with Hamilton reported 0.