Brundle calls Hamilton’s decision to stay out in Singapore ‘bizarre’

Martin Brundle has called Lewis Hamilton’s decision to stay out during the virtual safety car at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix “bizarre”. Hamilton completed 44 laps on the same set of soft tyres after choosing not to pit.

In post-race commentary for Sky Sports F1, Brundle said Hamilton’s lap-18 stop for softs initially suggested a two-stop approach. After Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin stopped and the VSC came out, Ferrari called both cars to the pits, but Hamilton stayed on track. Brundle reported that Hamilton himself chose to keep to a one-stop strategy.

Hamilton apologised to the team over the radio after the finish. In a statement on Monday, he said he had tried a different strategy because overtaking is difficult in Singapore, but that it had not delivered; he also said he took responsibility for the choice. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said the team had expected Hamilton to pit and believed a stop would likely have put him second or third.

Hamilton finished sixth after Oscar Piastri passed him for fifth in the closing stages.