Lewis Hamilton admitted that the way Ferrari handled their race strategy at the Dutch Grand Prix left him irritated, and he hinted that he would discuss the matter privately after the event. The seven‑time world champion described his Sunday at Zandvoort as "definitely frustrating for me" after he was unable to overtake his teammate George Russell, who was driving for Mercedes, for the final podium position in the closing stages of the race.
Hamilton's annoyance became evident on the team radio when he caught up to his fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Having pitted later than Leclerc and therefore running on fresher, softer tyres, Hamilton initially told the engineers that he was faster, saying, "I'm quicker than Charles. These tyres are better." Despite this clear speed advantage, Ferrari chose not to change the order of the two cars, a decision that prompted Hamilton to exclaim, "We are just losing time!" When Leclerc subsequently made his own pit stop, Hamilton returned to the radio with a sarcastic tone, remarking, "A great way of wasting time, guys – good job." The British driver eventually finished fourth, trailing Russell, who had been instructed by Mercedes in the final laps to allow his teammate Kimi Antonelli to pass after the Italian caught up on considerably fresher rubber.
Hamilton noted that the decisive team orders used by Mercedes were not mirrored by Ferrari, and that this discrepancy contributed to his disappointment. When asked about his blunt radio comments, Hamilton told the Formula 1 media outlet that his sole focus is winning: "I want to win.
I want to win. I'm here to win." He went on to compare the two teams' approaches, saying, "It is difficult when you are looking ahead and you see the two Mercedes drivers, they get the call and it's done, and they execute straight away. They let Kimi by and let him get on with the race. I was on a different strategy and it's not the same here.
That's a little bit difficult but we'll take it offline and when I go back now, I'll speak to them about it." Ferrari had been out‑qualified by both McLaren and Mercedes in the sprint and the main Grand Prix at Zandvoort, yet their long‑run pace remained impressive, keeping them in contention for a podium finish. Hamilton, who started the race from fifth on the grid, praised the latest upgrades fitted to the SF‑26 for the first race after the summer break. He expressed regret that the car's improvements had not translated into a better result on Sunday. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said, "Firstly, the guys in the garage did a fantastic job.
Pit stops, strategy was generally very, very good. The car felt awesome and they have continued to work so hard. We brought a bit of an upgrade here. We are just chipping away at it all the time.
This first half of the season we have been losing three to five tenths on the straight depending on which track we go to and that's a hard deficit to overcome just through the corners. But we are close." He added, "But today was definitely frustrating for me. I'm here to win and I really believe that this team can win. 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 and then, today, I lost several seconds behind Charles which I think ultimately would have made the difference at the end.
But we will take it offline. My goal is to try and lead this team to the championship and we've got some work to do for sure." Finishing just behind title‑leader Antonelli for the second consecutive race, Hamilton left Zandvoort 59 points behind the Mercedes driver in the championship standings. The next round of the season will see Formula 1 travel to Monza for Ferrari's home Grand Prix on September 4‑6, with live coverage on Sky Sports F1. The British champion remains determined to close the points gap, emphasizing that every race, every pit stop, and every strategic decision will be scrutinised as the fight for the 2026 championship intensifies.