Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari/4th) is fuming: “Am I a guinea pig or what?”

Ferrari just missed out on the podium at Zandvoort, and this time the Italians have only themselves to blame, as they failed to come up with a clear strategy for their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Here’s how it happened.

So, on lap 36, the order was: Antonelli just ahead of Norris, Russell ahead of the closing Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Lawson and Hülkenberg in P8.

At the end of lap 39: fresh tyres for leader Antonelli, putting 2024 Zandvoort winner Norris in front. Further back, Russell also picked up fresh tyres.

Hamilton demanded over the radio: “I’m faster than Leclerc, my tyres are better.” Translation: Let me past Charles.

Ferrari wanted to bring Leclerc in, but Charles wasn’t having any of it; he stayed out two laps longer than planned. Hamilton on the radio, furious: “We’re just wasting time here!”

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Then again: “What a fabulous way to waste time – great work, lads!”

Leader Norris pitted at the end of lap 46, so Hamilton took the lead, ahead of Antonelli, Norris, Russell and Leclerc, followed by Piastri, Lawson and Hülkenberg, still in P8.

By lap 52, the front-runners were already bunched up: Hamilton was only just ahead of Antonelli, who had Norris hot on his heels. Lando didn’t hesitate – he overtook Kimi on the outside at the Tarzan corner, then closed in on Hamilton, who slipped slightly, putting Norris back in the lead. Shortly afterwards, Antonelli also overtook Hamilton.

Then came a virtual safety car period because Esteban Ocon’s Haas car had come to a halt off the track.

Hamilton was not amused: “Are you using me as a guinea pig here or what? How much longer am I supposed to stay on the track?”

Naturally, Ferrari used the VSC phase to fit Lewis with soft Pirelli tyres. Behind him, Leclerc also pitted for fresh tyres. McLaren did the same with Piastri. One lap later, Mercedes did the same with Antonelli.

The new order after 57 laps: Norris ahead of Russell, then Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Lawson and Hülkenberg.

Norris asked whether they shouldn’t also use the VSC phase for a pit stop, but by then it was already too late – the lights had gone green. McLaren had opted not to make a stop, as had Mercedes with Russell.

Antonelli was closing in on Russell, and Mercedes asked for a position swap. Russell on the radio: “Can he win?” Russell let Kimi past, though he wasn’t happy about it. “We’ve lost a one-two here.”

Then Hamilton was also closing in on Russell, attacking in Turn 1, but Russell still held the lead. Leclerc was also closing in from behind. But then there was another virtual safety car phase due to debris on the track (following a collision between the two Williams cars). Hamilton’s attack thus came to nothing; that was exactly what Russell needed, and he held on to finish in P3.

Lewis Hamilton groaned after the Grand Prix: “I gave it absolutely everything today. The gaps between the fastest cars are so small that it’s really hard work to fight your way through.”

“As for our result, things might have turned out quite differently today if we’d managed to secure a better starting position in qualifying. The Mercedes are so incredibly fast on the straights; we lose four tenths of a second per lap just there.”

“But if we can then match their pace more or less in the Grand Prix, it shows we’ve got a really good race car. We just need to get more out of the engine.”

When asked about his radio messages, Lewis said: “I’m here to win; that’s my only thought. It’s not easy to watch a situation unfold in the race where Mercedes reacts immediately and does the right thing. Mercedes asked Kimi to let George past so he wouldn’t lose any time.”

“I, on the other hand, was on a different strategy, and here that (in terms of strategy, M.B.) simply isn’t the same. I’ll have to have a chat with the team about that.”