2026 Dutch GP: Ferrari calls frustrate Leclerc

Ferrari’s Dutch Grand Prix strategy drew scrutiny after reports that delayed team orders hurt Lewis Hamilton and a late stop left Charles Leclerc exposed.

Ferrari’s strategy decisions at the Dutch Grand Prix drew scrutiny after both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were left frustrated at Zandvoort. BBC Sport reported that Hamilton believed the team’s delay in asking Leclerc to let him through may have cost him second place, while RaceFans reported Ferrari told Leclerc twice on the same lap to pit before he stayed out longer than the team intended.

Motorsport.com reported that Leclerc questioned Ferrari’s call to stop him at the end of lap 43, a decision the outlet said left him short of tools to defend against George Russell late in the race. The same report said Ferrari finished fourth and fifth, with Hamilton ahead of Leclerc, and that team boss Fred Vasseur later explained the background to Hamilton’s radio frustration.

Hamilton left Zandvoort third in the 2026 drivers’ championship on 183 points, with Leclerc fifth on 155. Hamilton has raced in Formula 1 since 2007, while Leclerc’s career record stands at nine wins, 24 pole positions and 53 podiums.