Vasseur loses patience over Hamilton's pit stop mix-up: 'Don't blame the team'

Hamilton already accepted responsibility for the decision, both over team radio and in a subsequent written statement. However, the seven-time world champion was unable to attend the post-race media session after feeling unwell, leaving Vasseur to address questions about the incident. The Frenchman appeared frustrated by suggestions that Ferrari made a strategic mistake, making it clear that the team had called both drivers into the pits.

The Virtual Safety Car was deployed on lap 39 after Lance Stroll stopped on track, prompting Ferrari to bring Charles Leclerc in for a fresh set of soft tyres. Hamilton, meanwhile, remained on the tyres he had fitted on lap 19, eventually completing a 44-lap stint on the same compound. His pace deteriorated towards the end of the race, allowing Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to overtake him before he crossed the line in sixth place.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari intended to bring both drivers into the pits during the Virtual Safety Car, with Hamilton and Leclerc running second and third at the time. "It was crystal clear on the radio. But now let's be focused on Austin," the Frenchman explained.

Vasseur adopted an even firmer tone when speaking to the media, including GPblog, after the race. Faced with repeated questions about Hamilton's decision, the Ferrari team principal reiterated that the instructions from the pit wall were clear, suggesting that the unexpected element was the driver's response rather than the team's strategy.

When asked by reporters, including GPblog, whether Hamilton received a direct instruction to pit, Vasseur responded firmly, rejecting any suggestion that Ferrari was responsible for the decision. "Sorry for you, but there is a clear message, and the driver apologised that he let the team down," he said.

The Ferrari team principal also explained why the team wanted Hamilton to pit under the Virtual Safety Car, pointing to concerns over whether his tyres could last until the chequered flag: "We were not sure to be able to go to the end, and that it was why we called the car behind the VSC."

However, Hamilton and Vasseur offered slightly different accounts of what happened. In his written statement, the seven-time world champion explained that Ferrari called him into the pits under the Virtual Safety Car, but that he "missed the entry" and subsequently decided to remain on track to protect his position. Vasseur, meanwhile, initially presented the situation as a decision by Hamilton to stay out, only later referring to the missed pit entry.

Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz also provided further details from the pit lane, indicating that Ferrari was fully prepared to bring both drivers in: "The information I have from the team, I understand, was that Lewis was ready and was going to come in [to pit]," he explained. Kravitz also confirmed that the mechanics were prepared for a double pit stop, adding: "The tyres were out. They were going to stack."

Vasseur's frustration was evident from the opening question of the media session, which he interrupted to suggest that Hamilton's strategy was not necessarily "the big event of the weekend".

The Ferrari team principal also described the decision as "clearly a mistake", despite not yet speaking to Hamilton about what happened. He then questioned whether journalists were equally critical of McLaren following the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the previous day.

Nevertheless, Vasseur also acknowledged the importance of taking drivers' feedback into account when making strategic decisions. "When you see the outcome, it was not a good call," he admitted, before adding: "But on the other hand, quite often you are also telling us that we have to listen to the drivers, because they are into the car, they have the feeling with their tyres and so on."

Speaking separately to F1 TV, the Frenchman reiterated that Ferrari's original strategy involved bringing both cars into the pits: "The call was to pit [two drivers at the VSC] and Lewis decided to stay on track."

Hamilton, meanwhile, has since recovered after feeling unwell following the Singapore Grand Prix, which prevented him from attending the post-race media session.