Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration after Ferrari's late strategic decision under the safety car potentially cost him second place at the British Grand Prix, admitting nothing went right during the race. The seven-time world champion finished third behind teammate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell after pitting during a late safety car period, losing track position to Russell who stayed out. When the race ended under the safety car, Hamilton had no chance to reclaim the spot.
Hamilton questions team's decision
Reflecting on the call, Hamilton indicated he disagreed with the strategy. 'The team asked me to stop. I assumed in stopping that we would be holding position. If they told me, 'You're stopping and you're losing position,' I wouldn't have done it,' he said.
The afternoon at Silverstone was chaotic for Hamilton, who also received a five-second penalty for a jump start and faced a post-race investigation for a yellow flag infringement, resulting in a reprimand. He admitted the car was difficult to handle. 'Charles did a mega job today, fully deserves the win. From my side, pretty bad from the get-go. I jumped the start, which I have done very few times in the 380-odd races that I've done,' Hamilton added.
Car handling issues
Hamilton described significant understeer early in the race. 'I had the biggest understeer at the beginning of the race. I just couldn't even turn the car until halfway through that first stint. Then the five-second [penalty] at the stop and then there's just one thing after the other.'
Despite the setbacks, the British driver acknowledged Ferrari's strong performance at Silverstone, which exceeded expectations. 'It's amazing to see the pace that we've had this weekend at this sort of circuit. We definitely didn't anticipate it. So just phenomenal to be a strong weekend as a team and come away with really good points is really, really special.'
Horner returns to paddock
Christian Horner made his return to the F1 paddock for the first time since being sacked by Red Bull in 2025, just 48 hours after the British GP last year. The former team principal, 52, is reportedly seeking a return to the sport, potentially as a part owner of a team. He has been linked to Alpine, Aston Martin, and Chinese car manufacturer BYD.
Horner stated he would only consider a role with winning potential. 'I'd only look at doing the right thing, something that had an opportunity to win at the end of the day. I have no interest in just being a number in a machine, I've more than demonstrated what I'm capable of doing, and if I go back it would only be in a position where you were empowered to make a change, to drive difference, to win.'
