Hamilton: Ferrari's strategy 'not the same' as Mercedes after Dutch GP

Lewis Hamilton has taken his frustration with Ferrari's race strategy at the Dutch Grand Prix 'offline' – after losing time behind teammate Charles Leclerc in Zandvoort. The seven-time champion finished fourth behind George Russell, while Mercedes made a decisive call to let Kimi Antonelli through. Hamilton now trails the title leader by 59 points.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's hesitation to swap drivers on different strategies allowed Leclerc to hold up Hamilton on fresher tyres, costing the team a potential podium and putting a dent in Hamilton's title hopes. The incident highlights a strategic gap that Ferrari must address if they want to challenge for the championship.

The details:

• Hamilton caught Leclerc on much quicker tyres after a later pit stop, but Ferrari refused to reverse the order.
• His radio messages were blunt: "I'm quicker than Charles. These tyres are better." Then: "We are just losing time!"
• Once Leclerc pitted, Hamilton sarcastically added: "A great way of wasting time guys, good job."
• After the race, Hamilton compared Ferrari's indecision to Mercedes' decisive call for George Russell to let Antonelli through: "They get a call and it's done. It's not the same here."

The big picture:

Hamilton praised the SF-26's upgraded package, saying the car "felt awesome" and that long-run pace was strong. But he admitted the team is still losing three to five tenths on the straights, a deficit he said is "hard to overcome through the corners." Despite that, he remains confident: "I really believe this team can win."

What's next:

Hamilton says he will speak to Ferrari privately about the strategy decisions, but his goal is unchanged: "I want to win." Ferrari heads to its home race at Monza on September 4-6, where the Scuderia will hope to turn those lessons into a victory in front of its own fans.