Hamilton Says Ferrari Strategy Delay Cost Him at Dutch Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has questioned Ferrari's race management after finishing fourth at the Dutch Grand Prix, saying a delay in clearing team-mate Charles Leclerc from his path may have denied him a chance to finish second. BBC Sport reported that Hamilton ended the race directly ahead of Leclerc, with the Ferraris fourth and fifth behind Mercedes driver George Russell.

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McLaren's Lando Norris won at Zandvoort, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli took second for Mercedes. Russell finished third after Mercedes instructed him to let Antonelli through when the leading championship contender was being caught by his team-mate and both Ferrari drivers.

The disputed Ferrari sequence came in the middle of the race. Hamilton, running on fresher tyres, caught Leclerc and asked to be released so he could pursue the Mercedes cars. Ferrari initially told Leclerc to pit, but he resisted the instruction and stayed out for another lap before the team again directed him to come in. Hamilton believed the time spent behind the other Ferrari ultimately affected his result.

Hamilton recovered enough ground to catch Russell late in the race, but he could not complete a pass before the finish. According to BBC Sport, a late virtual safety car also hindered his attempts. Hamilton described the afternoon as frustrating and pointed to Mercedes' rapid decision to swap its drivers as an example of the execution Ferrari needs to discuss internally.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said the team had intended Hamilton to continue to the finish but had not told him because it did not want to reveal the strategy to rivals. Vasseur said Leclerc had been due to pit, acknowledged that extending his stint by one lap created confusion, and said the sequence would be made clear when the team reviewed the race.

The result left Hamilton 59 points behind Antonelli in the drivers' championship. Hamilton also called for Ferrari to improve its engine, saying the team was losing four-tenths of a second on the straights to Mercedes at Zandvoort. While he welcomed the upgrade Ferrari brought for the weekend, he said more power was needed if the team is to close the gap to its championship rivals.