Former Formula 1 strategist and Sky Sports pundit Bernie Collins believes that Lewis Hamilton's decision to ignore Ferrari's pitstop instruction in Singapore highlights a growing lack of trust between the seven-time world champion and the Maranello pitwall. This strategic tension took center stage following a dramatic race weekend where internal team dynamics came under intense scrutiny.
The incident unfolded during a virtual safety car period on lap 40, triggered when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll suffered a clutch issue on the track. That moment presented a prime opportunity for Hamilton to execute a cheaper second pitstop with minimal time loss, following his teammate Charles Leclerc who had already been called into the lane.
However, the veteran British driver chose to stay out on track in a gamble to make a one-stop strategy work. This independent call ultimately backfired as his older tires severely degraded in the closing stages of the race, forcing him to settle for a sixth-place finish. The episode echoed a similar disagreement a week prior in Malaysia, where Hamilton also questioned pitwall calls regarding tire changes.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Collins dissected the crucial incident in detail. Someone of Lewis's stature doesn't forget to do a pitstop. So let's say it's a decision to not take the pit entry or the call didn't come in time or whatever. But that was crucial, I think, to the race at that point, explained Collins.
She further emphasized that this pattern of disagreement points to a troubling trend in their working relationship. Now, if we go back a week to Malaysia, we had the same sort of lack of trust for want of another word. They started on a dry tyre. Then the call came to switch to an intermediate tyre. Lewis said, 'That's the wrong thing. We need to stick this out now,' she added.
Although Hamilton later apologized to the team after the race, confirming that remaining on track was entirely his call, analysts suggest the fundamental issue remains unresolved. He had a discussion with the pitwall, stayed on the tyre that he was on and ultimately that ended up very similar to Leclerc towards the end of the race. However, I do think that shows more globally that Lewis isn't trusting that Ferrari team. He's questioning their decisions, Collins concluded.
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