Hamilton takes responsibility for sixth-place Singapore finish

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday after staying out during a virtual safety car period when Ferrari called him to pit, a decision the driver and team principal Fred Vasseur said was Hamilton’s responsibility. The result followed a strategy that left him on soft tyres for a long final stint as his pace faded. Hamilton started on medium tyres and later switched to softs. During the VSC, Ferrari told both cars to pit, Vasseur said. Charles Leclerc stopped, but Hamilton stayed on track. In a statement issued after the race, Hamilton said the team called him in but he missed the pit entry. He then chose to stay out and try to preserve track position. Vasseur said Ferrari had called both drivers and that Hamilton either preferred to remain on track or missed the entry. He said the decision was a mistake in light of the outcome, while acknowledging that drivers’ feedback from inside the car can inform strategy calls. Hamilton apologized over team radio after the race, saying he had let the team down with the strategy and had cost it points. Hamilton’s choice to continue on the soft tyres did not produce the hoped-for result.