Singapore 2026: Hamilton blames setup change

Lewis Hamilton said a setup change hurt his final Singapore qualifying run after strong early pace, while Charles Leclerc also felt Ferrari had more in hand.

Lewis Hamilton said a setup change cost him a better result in Singapore qualifying after Ferrari showed strong pace in the earlier phases. RaceFans reported that Hamilton was quickest in Q1 and Q2 before ending the session third, while Motorsport.com reported that he took responsibility for a change that left the car out of balance.

Charles Leclerc also felt Ferrari had more pace than the final order showed. Formula1.com reported that Leclerc believed there was extra potential in the Ferrari after he narrowly missed pole, and Motorsport.com reported that the team was left to assess whether both cars had the speed to start higher up the grid.

Hamilton arrived at the weekend third in the drivers' championship on 214 points. The British driver has raced in Formula 1 since 2007 for McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari, and his Singapore qualifying result still left Ferrari with two cars near the front of the grid.