Hamilton demands Ferrari review after Zandvoort strategy decision costs potential podium – Lewis Hamilton has called for Ferrari to review its strategy decision during the Dutch Grand Prix after losing valuable time behind Charles Leclerc at Zandvoort. Hamilton finished fourth, just under a second behind George Russell, and believes Ferrari’s hesitation over allowing him past Leclerc may have cost the team a podium.
The controversy centred on lap 42, when Leclerc was expected to pit for fresh tyres. Hamilton was running directly behind his teammate on a different strategy and appeared to have considerably more pace.
However, Leclerc stayed out, leaving Hamilton stuck behind him for another lap.
Hamilton’s frustration was clear over Ferrari’s team radio.
“Great way to waste time! Good job!”
Leclerc eventually made his pit stop one lap later, but Hamilton continued to believe the delay had cost him crucial seconds in his battle for the podium.
Hamilton wants Ferrari to analyse the decision
Speaking after the race, Hamilton made clear that he wants Ferrari to examine how the situation was handled.
“It was definitely frustrating. I had great pace, was on a different strategy with a different tire. He clearly had problems with the medium tire at the end of his stint, and I lost whole seconds there,”
The seven-time world champion believes Ferrari needs to become more decisive if it wants to maximise its opportunities at the front of the grid.
“To get the maximum points as a team, we need to work together better. The decision should have been made earlier. I think that probably cost us at least a podium finish,”
Hamilton’s ambitions at Ferrari extend beyond individual podiums. With the championship still developing, he wants the team operating at the level required to challenge Mercedes and McLaren consistently.
“to lead this team to the World Championship. It will be a calm discussion, but of course it must also be conducted directly. If you want to win, then you have to do these things. The others are doing it. Right now it’s very frustrating, but we will work on it and definitely discuss it,”
Leclerc and Vasseur defend Ferrari’s strategy
Leclerc offered a different interpretation of the situation, describing the disagreement as part of normal race discussions.
“normal discussions during a race.”
The Monegasque driver acknowledged that the decision could look different from outside the cockpit but maintained that he did not believe lap 42 was the correct moment to pit.
“From the outside, it might look worse. When there isn’t much happening on the track, the focus shifts to this discussion. In the end, from my perspective, it wasn’t the right lap to pit. The decision was made differently, and we will analyze it together,”
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also defended the call, explaining that the team had considered keeping Leclerc on track for the remainder of the race.
“At one point we thought Charles would go all the way. He was ahead of Antonelli, then the safety car came out. Norris was faster than us, but we thought we’d stay out on track. Clearly, Lewis lost some time behind Charles. It’s always easy to explain everything in hindsight, but at the time it was the right decision, I think,”
Ferrari therefore does not appear to regard the strategy as an obvious mistake. Hamilton’s comments instead point towards an internal discussion about how the team should handle similar situations in future.
Timo Glock backs Hamilton’s criticism
Former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock was considerably more critical of Ferrari’s handling of the situation.
“Leclerc held Hamilton up for two or three laps too long. If they had let Lewis past earlier, they might even have been ahead of Antonelli,”
Glock’s assessment highlights the potential significance of the lost time. Hamilton ultimately finished fourth, while Leclerc came home fifth, meaning Ferrari left Zandvoort without the podium it had been targeting.
The result is particularly frustrating because Hamilton believed he had the pace to challenge for more as he finished less than a second behind Russell, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli extended his advantage to 59 points.
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FERRARI TELLS SIR LEWIS HAMILTON TO GET BENT!! Following an eventful Zandvoort race whiner Lewis Hamilton who refused to revert positions with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc during the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix stated, “To get the maximum points as a team, we need to work together better.”. Clearly for Lewis Hamilton working together is only of importance if it is to his benefit.
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