Lewis Hamilton calls out ‘media headlines’ as Singapore GP sets ‘perfect example’

Penalised following a challenging Singapore Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton said that for all the “media headlines”, he focuses on the “other story” of how Ferrari responds to adversity, and the blueprint for better times.

Crossing the line seventh in Singapore, Hamilton was demoted a position courtesy of a post-race five second penalty. The stewards responded to a series of track limit violations from Hamilton as braking issues set in, but Hamilton is not focusing on the “media headlines” after another challenging race weekend for the team.

Lewis Hamilton focuses on ‘other story’ in Ferrari mission

Hamilton was one of the few drivers to attempt a two-stop strategy. Ferrari moved Charles Leclerc aside in the final stint to allow Hamilton a shot at passing Kimi Antonelli for fifth, but it soon became a race just to see the chequered flag.

Leclerc had been managing brake issues since the early laps, and as Hamilton too came into bother on that front, he fell back into the clutches of former teammate Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin.

Hamilton clung on to P7 on the road by four-tenths, but Alonso was left enraged over team radio. It turned out that Hamilton had clocked up multiple track limit breaches in his efforts to keep Alonso behind. Missing a reported 10 braking zones, Hamilton was hit with a five-second penalty, dropping him behind Alonso to eighth in the final classification.

Recent races have seen Hamilton return to the pace of Leclerc, a positive on a personal note. However, it is a rather weak silver lining with Ferrari struggling for pace overall. The last five grands prix have been and gone without a podium for the team. Hamilton is yet to achieve such a result in Ferrari colours.

However, Hamilton took to Instagram with a heartfelt assessment of his and Ferrari’s situation. He explained how Singapore was the “perfect example” of progress, and adversity to overcome, which the “media headlines” fail to portray.

“After a tough week, it feels good to be home,” Hamilton began.

“I had some time to reflect on my journey from Singapore and the main emotion I’m feeling is gratitude. The support and love I have felt since losing Roscoe has been a powerful reminder that, even when things sometimes seem dark, there is so much good in the world. You just have to look for it.

“I’m looking at the positives on track too. The media headlines only tell one story — one where we don’t get things quite right, or things don’t go our way. But what I have been focussed on over the past few months is the other story. The one about how this team responds when things go wrong. How we get back up, and we go again.

“Yesterday was the perfect example.

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We got the strategy right, but the brake issue set us back just when momentum was building. So now we get back in the factory, learn from this last race, and plan for the next one.

“I’m really proud of this team and want to help deliver the results they and the tifosi deserve. I see the progress we are making, and the hard work that goes into every race, but this is Ferrari. Progress alone is not enough. To achieve greatness we need to go further, be better.

“There is so much we can achieve together, and if we can build on our successes, and change the things we need to, I fully believe we will get there.

“Forza Ferrari.”

Ferrari is locked in battle with Mercedes and Red Bull for runner-up in the Constructors’ Championship. Mercedes currently holds P2, 25 points up on Ferrari, with six rounds to go.

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