Hamilton admits Ferrari made the wrong strategy call in Singapore SQ3

Lewis Hamilton admitted that he made the wrong call on Ferrari’s run plan in SQ3 at the Singapore Grand Prix. After the team secured a one-two in the second phase of qualifying, the final session proved more difficult: Charles Leclerc finished third, while Hamilton was sixth.

Ferrari opted for a different approach from its rivals in the shootout featuring the final 10 drivers. Every car changed from medium to soft tyres, as required by the regulations. McLaren and Mercedes went out immediately, while Red Bull waited until the closing moments. Leclerc and Hamilton took to the track midway through the eight-minute session. Leclerc was first of the pair and had time for a second attempt after a cool-down lap; Hamilton had only one run.

“I think we did a slightly different run plan to the others. It was my choice, and I think we got that wrong,” Hamilton said. He also described the contrast with the opening stages of qualifying: “It was looking good in Q1 and Q2, and then… I don’t really know where it went away.”

The Briton acknowledged that Leclerc had been three tenths quicker in the second phase. The Monegasque then set the third-fastest time in SQ3, again three tenths ahead of Hamilton. He acknowledged Ferrari’s different run plan but rejected it as an excuse: “Honestly, it shouldn’t be an excuse.”

Leclerc considered his grid position acceptable but regretted missing out on pole. “On a track like this, you really want to be starting on P1. Overtaking is going to be very difficult,” he said. He added that the immediate focus was the sprint race, with qualifying to follow the next day. Ferrari left the session with a mixed picture: a one-two in the second phase, but a final-segment strategy that Hamilton believes was the wrong choice.