Hamilton says Ferrari strategy cost him Dutch GP podium

Lewis Hamilton has said Ferrari's delay in moving team-mate Charles Leclerc out of his way could have cost him second place at the Dutch Grand Prix, according to the BBC and the Guardian. The British driver finished the race frustrated, telling the team they must improve their strategy if he is to stay in the Formula One world championship fight.

Hamilton said the team was too slow to pit Leclerc, and that the matter is something they need to discuss offline. The Guardian reported that the Briton was angry with the strategic decisions made during the race at Zandvoort.

The race was won by Lando Norris and McLaren, who beat Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in a masterful strategic victory, the BBC reported. Hamilton's frustration at Ferrari's calls adds to a season of operational questions for the Maranello team, which has struggled to convert pace into consistent results.

The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort has become a recurring stage for Ferrari's strategic woes. Hamilton, who joined Ferrari at the start of the season in one of the most anticipated moves in recent Formula One history, has repeatedly urged the team to sharpen its decision-making under pressure. The Guardian quoted him as saying the team must up their game if he is to remain in the championship contest.

The BBC reported that Hamilton believed the delay in moving Leclerc out of his way could have cost him second place. The team's failure to act quickly enough in the pit wall left Hamilton stuck behind his team-mate, losing valuable time and track position in a race where strategy was decisive.

For Ferrari, the criticism carries weight beyond a single race. The team has invested heavily in its driver line-up and car development to challenge McLaren and Mercedes at the front of the grid. Yet operational errors — slow pit calls, misjudged tyre windows — have repeatedly undermined strong qualifying performances. The Guardian's report noted that Hamilton's frustration was aimed squarely at the strategy side of the team, not at Leclerc himself.

The result at Zandvoort leaves Ferrari with questions to answer as the season moves towards its European closing stages. Hamilton's public call for improvement signals that the team's internal review will need to address not just the Dutch race but a pattern of decisions that have cost points. With the championship fight still alive, the margin for error is thin.

Norris's victory for McLaren, ahead of Antonelli's Mercedes, underlined how much the competitive order has shifted. Ferrari's pace was present, but the team's execution lagged. Hamilton's demand for a discussion offline suggests the matter will be handled internally, but the public airing of his frustration is a clear warning that patience is wearing thin.