Sports · Motorsport · 19 hrs ago
Hamilton says missing rain update led him to ignore Ferrari pit call
Lewis Hamilton stayed out after Ferrari told him to pit during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.
He said his last update was that the rain would remain light, and he did not know it had grown heavier.
Hamilton was running eighth with 10 laps left when the team called him in as rain intensified.
He spun on the next lap, then pitted for intermediate tyres and finished ninth; Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc finished seventh.
Hamilton said the missing weather information led to his decision, while also accepting responsibility for it.
The result followed a difficult weekend for Ferrari, with both drivers starting far back after grid penalties, and Hamilton said the team struggled for pace.
The episode adds to recent tension between Hamilton and Leclerc after a clash in Mexico, though Hamilton said they had resolved their differences.
Lewis Hamilton said limited information about worsening rain led him to reject Ferrari’s instruction to pit during the closing stages of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
He stayed on slick tyres as rain intensified, then spun and pitted for intermediate tyres on the following lap.
Hamilton finished ninth, while Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc finished seventh.
Hamilton said he had been told the rain would stay the same and that he would have pitted if he had known it was getting heavier.
- Who
- Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari.
- What
- Hamilton stayed out after Ferrari told him to pit as rain worsened. He said he lacked information about the changing conditions.
- When
- During the closing stages of the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
- Where
- Interlagos, Brazil.
- Why
- Hamilton said his last information was that the rain would stay the same, and he did not hear that it was raining more in the first sector.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Heavy rain began to fall while Hamilton was running eighth.
Ferrari instructed Hamilton to pit, but he stayed out as the rain intensified.
Hamilton spun in the wet conditions and then pitted for intermediate tyres.
- Race
- 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
- Circuit
- Interlagos
- Hamilton's finish
- Ninth
- Leclerc's finish
- Seventh
- Hamilton's grid start
- 20th, after an engine penalty
3 sources
What people are saying
If I'd have known that I would have come in.
So, it just lacked a little bit of information there.