Second for Ferrari, but two different endings
Charles Leclerc finished second in Singapore, 7.335 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton was sixth, 53.188 seconds back. The final FIA classification confirms 18 points for Leclerc and eight for Hamilton. The team left the full weekend with 39 points, but the Briton's result fell short of a potential podium. The central explanation is not a sporting penalty, but the way Ferrari's strategies diverged in the second part of the race.
Starting on Medium: an option for flexibility
Ferrari split its strategies: Leclerc started on Soft, Hamilton on Medium. In the team's report, Fred Vasseur explains that choice through limited tyre information and the desire to retain options against Verstappen. The sole practice session and wet Sprint had not provided a complete test for the dry race. The Soft proved more competitive than the Medium, and Hamilton changed compound early. That first decision should be distinguished from his subsequent decision not to stop again.
The timeline: stops and the two VSC neutralisations
The pit-stop laps in the table follow the Lap column in the official Formula 1 timing. There is a numbering difference in the reports: Ferrari and Formula 1's narratives describe Hamilton's first stop as lap 19, whereas the official table records it as lap 18. For comparisons we consistently use the timing, which confirms one stop for Hamilton and two for Leclerc.
| Stage | Verified event | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Hamilton: Medium; Leclerc: Soft | Different initial strategies |
| Lap 8 | VSC after Bortoleto stops | Brief neutralisation before Ferrari's stops |
| Lap 18 · F1 timing | Hamilton changes from Medium to Soft | Rejoins P7; his only stop |
| Lap 24 · F1 timing | Leclerc changes from Soft to Medium | Rejoins ahead of Hamilton |
| Lap 39 | VSC after Stroll stops; Leclerc and Antonelli pit | Fresh Softs for both; Hamilton stays out |
| Laps 54–55 | Antonelli, then Norris pass Hamilton | The Briton's Ferrari loses two places |
| Lap 61 | Piastri passes Hamilton | Hamilton falls to sixth |
| Finish · 62 laps | Leclerc P2; Hamilton P6 | Results confirmed in FIA Document 90 |
What Hamilton said about missing the pit entry
Hamilton explained, in the statement published by Ferrari and Formula 1, that the team had called him into the pits under the VSC but he missed the entry. He then chose to continue to defend track position. He described the experience as a painful lesson and accepted responsibility. Vasseur confirms that both cars had been called in. The available evidence therefore does not support an accusation that Ferrari denied Hamilton a second stop.
Degradation: track position versus fresh tyres
With the stop recorded on lap 18 and a 62-lap race, Hamilton extended his final Soft stint to approximately 44 laps, a duration also reported by Ferrari. Leclerc and Antonelli stopped again on lap 39. In the closing stages Norris was pursuing Hamilton while himself being pressured by Antonelli's Mercedes. The Turn 1 battle created the decisive opening for the Italian. Piastri, recovering after a slow puncture, took the last of the three places Hamilton lost.
APEX analysis: what can and cannot be demonstrated
Under a VSC, a pit stop can cost relatively less time against cars travelling slowly on the circuit. Hamilton's alternative was to trade temporary track position for the advantage of newer tyres. The result shows that the strategy without a second stop did not protect a podium; it does not prove that stopping would have guaranteed third. We do not have Ferrari's complete traffic model, telemetry or counterfactual simulation. Calculating an exact points loss from a hypothetical result would exceed the available evidence.
The Austin lesson: the decision must be executed in time
Through Leclerc, Ferrari demonstrated that its pace and two-stop strategy could produce a solid Marina Bay result. Hamilton's vulnerable point was turning a pit call into a missed opportunity, followed by the choice to stay out. The APEX reading for Austin concerns coordination and a quick reassessment of tyre condition, not a promised result. The team says it will analyse the weekend; the Texas circuit and its conditions will require their own checks.
