Samwise F1 Newsletter
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Hamilton Posts Instagram Apology Calling Singapore Strategy a ‘Painful Lesson’
Lewis Hamilton posted on Instagram on Monday to repeat his apology to Ferrari after what he called a “painful lesson” at the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton overrode Ferrari’s strategy by opting not to pit under a Virtual Safety Car while on course for a podium, and dropped to sixth after being passed by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. “Yesterday wasn’t the result we were looking for, and that’s on me,” he wrote. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur said: “It was clearly a mistake when you see the outcome, it was not a good call.”
Sources: Sky Sports
Missing Radio Audio Leaves Hamilton’s VSC Decision Unexplained
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said the team called both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pit during the second Virtual Safety Car period, adding Hamilton “missed the pit entry.” RaceFans reported that Hamilton’s onboard footage gives no indication of any conversation with race engineer Carlos Santi about pitting, although during the first VSC period Ferrari told both drivers to stay out. The Race noted his onboard clearly showed he did not attempt to pit. Hamilton visited the medical centre and was excused from speaking to the media, so The Race expects more answers in Austin.
Red Bull’s Baku Upgrade Has Transformed RB22 After Singapore Dominance
Singapore was historically a bogey track for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, but The Race wrote that the weaknesses of the previous era looked “dead and buried” in 2026. Even had Charles Leclerc passed Verstappen on the opening lap, The Race said the Red Bull’s race pace meant he could have won with an aggressive undercut or by passing on track. The RB22’s development through the season, particularly the Baku upgrade, has transformed it into what George Russell now feels is F1’s benchmark car. Verstappen leaves the Asian triple-header “just half a second from three grand prix wins out of three.”
Leclerc Reports Ferrari Braking on Its Own During Singapore GP
Charles Leclerc warned Ferrari he almost crashed when his car slowed without warning during the Singapore Grand Prix. The fault struck on lap 46 as he accelerated out of turn 13, the slowest corner on the track. “The car started to brake on its own!” Leclerc said, adding on the next lap: “If this happens again, and I have no control of the car, I put it in the wall.” Race engineer Bryan Bozzi called it “a single case” and two laps later relayed a settings change to help with the issue. Leclerc did not indicate it recurred, and team-mate Lewis Hamilton reported no similar problems.
Stella Says McLaren’s Fundamental Fix Will Arrive with 2027 MCL41
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said the fix for the team’s slump will come “at the earliest, I would say with the MCL41 for 2027.” The Race reported McLaren has dropped from the front of the leading pack to the back of it over the Asian triple-header, finishing Singapore with a P4-P5 result and its lead car 40 seconds adrift of Verstappen. Stella said the 0.3s deficit in Singapore is “in a range that you can add with an upgrade,” but added “we need something more fundamental than simply adding some downforce to the car.” Lando Norris said “you have to force the car” too much.
McLaren Says Norris and Piastri Conversations Are ‘Not Finished’
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said discussions over Lando Norris’s Singapore sprint collision with Oscar Piastri are not over. Norris’s last-lap attempt in damp conditions put Piastri out of the race and dropped Norris to eighth, and The Race reported that after initially being unrepentant, Norris accepted blame. McLaren says apologies alone cannot fix it and plans further discussions during the week off before the next triple-header. “The conversations that we are having, they are not finished,” Stella said. The Race noted McLaren may go further than the small sporting sanction it imposed a year ago.
Mercedes Split-Spec Singapore Experiment Clarifies Upgrade but Falls Short of Hopes
Mercedes left Malaysia unsure whether its new upgrade was a step forward, so it split specification across its cars in Singapore. The Race called the experiment a success for data-gathering, and Kimi Antonelli said: “If in Malaysia we were a bit lost, now we have the head a bit more clear.” After running almost seven tenths off pole on Friday, Antonelli was two tenths from pole in grand prix qualifying. Team boss Toto Wolff said the upgrade does not yet have the performance Mercedes hoped for, but “it was a step in the right direction.” Both drivers should run the upgrade in Austin.
Bottas Again More Than a Second and a Half Per Lap Slower Than Perez
Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas started the Singapore Grand Prix from P18 and finished 19th, and The Race said he was not far off being lapped by team-mate Sergio Perez. As in Baku, Bottas was on average over a second and a half per lap slower than Perez, with no clear explanation after the race. Bottas had to lift and coast more than usual in the first stint to manage brake temperatures, but admitted that “doesn’t explain it.” He described having “no pace at all in the first stint” and “pretty much the same story all through the race,” calling it “a bit of an odd one.”
Hadjar Climbs From Pit Lane to Score Singapore Point
Isack Hadjar had a stressful race but was rewarded with a point after slogging his way through the field from the pit lane, RaceFans reported. The Red Bull driver lined up at the pit exit ahead of the two Aston Martins, but Fernando Alonso passed him at the end of lap one. Hadjar passed Alexander Albon and Arvid Lindblad with little difficulty, then spent many laps behind Franco Colapinto until the Alpine retired on lap 29. He completed his climb into the points by passing Oliver Bearman on lap 54 and Pierre Gasly four laps later, reporting braking problems over the radio.
Round 17 of 23 — After the Singapore Grand Prix
Drivers’ Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Antonelli | 340 |
| 2 | G. Russell | 238 |
| 3 | L. Hamilton | 229 |
| 4 | M. Verstappen | 221 |
| 5 | C. Leclerc | 215 |
| 6 | L. Norris | 201 |
| 7 | O. Piastri | 138 |
| 8 | I. Hadjar | 97 |
| 9 | L. Lawson | 75 |
| 10 | P. Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | A. Lindblad | 38 |
| 12 | F. Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | O. Bearman | 23 |
| 14 | N. Hulkenberg | 13 |
| 15 | G. Bortoleto | 10 |
| 16 | E. Ocon | 7 |
| 17 | F. Alonso | 7 |
| 18 | C. Sainz | 7 |
| 19 | A. Albon | 5 |
| 20 | Y. Tsunoda | 1 |
| 21 | L. Stroll | 0 |
| 22 | V. Bottas | 0 |
| 23 | S. Perez | 0 |
Constructors’ Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 578 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 444 |
| 3 | McLaren | 339 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 332 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 100 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 30 |
| 8 | Audi | 23 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency