Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration after Ferrari's late strategic decision under the safety car at the British Grand Prix, a move he believes may have cost him second place. The seven-time world champion admitted that nothing went right during an afternoon at Silverstone where he also incurred a five-second penalty for a jump start and faced a post-race investigation for a yellow flag infringement.
Safety Car Strategy Backfires
Ferrari opted to pit Hamilton during a late safety car period, while his teammate Charles Leclerc went on to win the race. Hamilton had been running second ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, who stayed out and gained track position. As the race finished under the safety car, Hamilton had no opportunity to reclaim the place.
When asked about the decision, Hamilton indicated he disagreed with the call. 'The team asked me to stop,' he said. 'I assumed in stopping that we would be holding position. If they told me, “You’re stopping and you’re losing position,” I wouldn’t have done it.'
Penalties and Handling Issues
The British driver also endured a five-second penalty for a jump start and a reprimand for a yellow flag infringement. He described the car as a handful throughout the race. 'Charles did a mega job today, fully deserves the win. From my side, pretty bad from the get-go. I jumped the start, which I have done very few times in the 380-odd races that I’ve done,' Hamilton said.
'I had the biggest understeer at the beginning of the race. I just couldn’t even turn the car until halfway through that first stint. Then the five-second [penalty] at the stop and then there’s just one thing after the other.'
Positive Takeaway from Ferrari's Pace
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton acknowledged the team's strong performance at a circuit where they had not expected to be competitive. 'It’s amazing to see the pace that we’ve had this weekend at this sort of circuit,' he said. 'We definitely didn’t anticipate it. So just phenomenal to be a strong weekend as a team and come away with really good points is really, really special.'
Christian Horner Returns to Paddock
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made his return to the F1 paddock for the first time since being sacked by the team in 2025, just 48 hours after last year's British GP. Horner, 52, is reportedly seeking a return to the sport, potentially as a part owner of a team. He has been linked to Alpine, Aston Martin, and Chinese car manufacturer BYD.
'I’d only look at doing the right thing, something that had an opportunity to win at the end of the day,' Horner said. 'I have no interest in just being a number in a machine, I’ve more than demonstrated what I’m capable of doing, and if I go back it would only be in a position where you were empowered to make a change, to drive difference, to win.'
