Hamilton says he rejected pit call due to 'lack of information'

Lewis Hamilton finished ninth at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after rejecting Ferrari's call to pit. He was eighth when the rain intensified at Interlagos with 10 laps remaining. The leaders had already passed the pit entry before the rain intensified, while Mercedes had called George Russell, who was fifth, into the pits.

Ferrari told Hamilton to pit, but the driver did the opposite and followed Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, who was ahead of him. His teammate Charles Leclerc, who was directly behind Hamilton, pitted. On the next lap, Hamilton spun off on the track and then pitted to change tyres. Had he been able to pass Lawson, he could have been seventh, but he finished ninth.

Speaking to Sky Italy after the race, Hamilton said he had been told the rain would stay the same and that he thought his grip was good in those conditions. He said the pit call did not mention that the rain would increase in the first half, and that he would have pitted had he known. Hamilton said the mistake was his and apologised to his team. It is also worth recalling that the first-lap contact with his teammate in Mexico last week angered him and, which he believes, cost him the win.