Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari’s hesitation over when to call Charles Leclerc into the pits cost him a chance at second place at Zandvoort. Hamilton finished fourth while Mercedes drivers filled second and third, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli ending the race as runner-up after his Mercedes team-mate George Russell was ordered to yield.
Mid-race Hamilton arrived behind Leclerc on newer tyres and radioed the team for a pass so he could press the Mercedes pair. Ferrari then told Leclerc to pit, the driver stayed out for another lap, and was summoned again. Over the radio Hamilton said, "Great way of wasting time, guys. Great job." He eventually closed on Russell but a late virtual safety car and the clock denied him another overtaking opportunity.
The two Ferraris finished close together in fourth and fifth, directly behind Russell, while McLaren’s Lando Norris took victory. Hamilton sits 59 points behind Antonelli and called the result "definitely frustrating." He added, "I'm here to win and I think this team can win," and warned the team that picking up every available point is essential for a championship campaign.
Hamilton singled out both strategic confusion and a power deficit. "We couldn't win this race but to win championships you have to pick up every point and the last few races have been difficult with penalties and stuff," he said. "And then today I lost several seconds behind Charles, which I think ultimately could have made the difference in the end. My goal is to try and lead this team to the championship. We've got some work to do, for sure." He also urged an engine upgrade, saying Ferrari were losing "0.4secs on the straights to Mercedes at Zandvoort."
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur acknowledged the pit call errors but framed them as a decision to protect strategy. He said, "If I look at the race now, I can do it frankly, but my issue is that we didn't tell Lewis that we were expecting him to go to the end, and it was not a matter of pushing. We didn't want to tell [Hamilton] the strategy at this stage, because we didn't want to disclose it to the competitors, because we wanted to keep him on track until the end [of the race]. He was able to keep Antonelli behind him, and I think it would have been the right call. Charles was supposed to pit. We extended one lap, and it was a kind of confusion, but I'm not worried about this, everybody will be back in the briefing, they will have a clear picture about the race."
The practical outcome is clear: Mercedes used team orders to fortify Antonelli’s finish, while Ferrari must answer why a delayed double-stop left Hamilton needlessly compromised. Ferrari has signalled an internal review and Hamilton has put public pressure on upgrades and sharper race management as the championship heads into the next rounds.
