Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in P4 for the F1 2026 Dutch GP. After a radio discussion in the second stint about swapping with Leclerc that did not happen, a VSC saw the Brit gain track position as the team pitted both cars.
The seven-time World Champion chased George Russell down at the end but just fell short of passing him for a podium.
It was Ferrari third row for the starting grid in Zandvoort. Hamilton qualified P5 on Saturday, behind Piastri in P4 and ahead of Leclerc in P6. As the lights went out, both Ferraris went side-by-side as the #16 gained a spot. Still, after the red flags caused by Verstappen’s crash, Hamilton sat P6 in the restart.
The seven-time World Champion gained the lead as he tried to extend his soft tyres while everyone pitted. Finally, he stopped 4 laps later and switched to a hard compound. Later, Hamilton stayed out once again, but Norris and Antonelli overtook him. On lap 55, a VSC was thrown as Ocon stopped in turn 3, giving the Brit the chance to box for softs and rejoin in fourth.
Russell and Antonelli respected team orders and switched positions, leaving Hamilton to hunt down his ex-teammate. An overtake seemed imminent, but Russell was somewhat saved by a VSC as Sainz hit Albon further back. By the flag, Hamilton remained P4, barely missing out on a podium.
Hamilton on what-ifs after the VSC in the F1 2026 Dutch GP
After the race, Lewis Hamilton was asked whether he felt he would have been able to overtake Russell if there had not been a VSC. The Ferrari driver said: “It felt like it was the closest opportunity I had. I think I’d come out 14 pretty close to him and I was just opening SM and just getting on the boost.”
Still, he was hesitant as he insisted on Mercedes’ engine advantage. “I don’t know whether or not we would have got by because the Mercedes is just so quick. You saw the McLaren just fly past on power. We’re losing like 4 tenths of a lap here just on straight lines. So that was a challenge.”
Hamilton was also quick to point out that the laps behind his teammate Charles Leclerc cost him time. “But I do think the time was lost when I was behind Charles and I think which ultimately meant I had a bigger distance to cover to try and catch up from George at the end.”
“Charles was on his own” says Hamilton on potential team orders for Leclerc
Around lap 40, the pack was led by Norris. As Hamilton reached Leclerc for 2nd but that was a net 4th, he said to Ferrari through the radio: “I’m quicker than Charles. My tyres are better.”
The Scuderia struggled to make a decision and Hamilton insisted a lap later: “We’re just losing time!”
On the other side of the garage, Leclerc was given the message but refused to pit or let the Brit through. Eventually, the Monegasque stopped. After the drawn-out saga, Hamilton sarcastically complained: “Great way of wasting time, guys. Good job.”
When asked about the discussion, Hamilton said: “I don’t know. George wasn’t ahead of him. Charles was on his own.
“I think what’s clear is I’m looking ahead and seeing the Mercedes. They execute like that,” pointed out the Brit about the switch between Russell and Antonelli ahead of him with six laps left. “They got the car that’s fighting for the championship in the lead and they did it straight away.
“Here I’m sitting back losing seconds. It’s something that we need to discuss up front.”
Even after the chequered flag, as his engineer lamented the bad luck with the VSC, Hamilton disagreed. “We weren’t unlucky. We lost time earlier on, and that cost us P3.”
When asked about his ‘colorful language’ on the radio, Hamilton stated: “I didn’t have any colourful language. I don’t think I said any swear words or anything like that.”
But he agreed he was agitated: “Of course. My heart rate is 170, and I’m trying to win.”
Ferrari’s upgrades at the F1 2026 Dutch GP
Still, Hamilton praised the team for the improvement in performance. “The one thing I’m definitely really proud of the team. They’ve brought an upgrade here this weekend.
“We are getting closer to them. But it’s just half a season. We’ve been down in power so we really need to pick up the power if we’re going to be anywhere near trying to fight for them and closing the gaps.”
When asked about his time leading the Dutch GP, Hamilton said: “For sure, it felt nice.”
But pointed out: “I wasn’t really in the lead. I was in the lead just because everyone else had stopped.”l
“Seeing these guys catching [Norris and Antonelli], I was like, ‘damn it’, can I finish the race in this position, but they were catching so fast.”
He warned: “We’ve got a lot of work to do to try and close the gap to the Mercedes cars.”
Hamilton’s outlook for Monza and the rest of the F1 2026 season
Finally, Hamilton spoke about how excited he was to return to Monza as a Ferrari driver for the second time. “Yeah, we’re in a much different place than we have been in the past, obviously, than last year.”
“We’re still second in the Constructors’ Championship. We’ve got a lot of positives to take from this first half.” Ferrari is currently P2 with 338 points, behind Mercedes with 425 and ahead of McLaren with 263.
The Brit concluded: “The next ones we really need to turn up the heat if we’re going to have any chance of beating these guys.”
After the F1 2026 Dutch GP, Hamilton fell to P3 in the drivers’ championship. Antonelli still leads with 242 points, and Russell now sits in P2 with 183 points, equaling Hamilton in third.
