Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari's strategy after admitting his British Grand Prix was "pretty bad from the get-go", with the seven-time world champion insisting he would not have pitted had he known it would cost him second place.
The Briton crossed the line third at Silverstone after a frustrating afternoon that began with a costly false start and ended with Hamilton losing position to George Russell during a late Safety Car period.
Hamilton felt Ferrari's decision to bring him into the pits ultimately denied him the chance of a higher finish.
Asked whether he wished he had stayed out, Hamilton replied: "What difference is there?
"I mean, the team asked me to stop. I assumed that in stopping, we would hold position. If they had told me to stop, I would have been losing position; I wouldn't have done it."
The late pit stop proved decisive.
Ferrari called both Hamilton and race leader Charles Leclerc into the pits when the Safety Car was deployed.
While Leclerc comfortably retained the lead, Hamilton emerged behind Russell and, with the race finishing under the Safety Car, had no opportunity to reclaim second place.
Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari's strategy after admitting his British Grand Prix was "pretty bad from the get-go", with the seven-time world champion insisting he would not have pitted had he known it would cost him second place
|GETTY
It capped a difficult afternoon for the 40-year-old, whose hopes of claiming a record-extending 10th British Grand Prix victory disappeared almost immediately.
Hamilton was handed a five-second penalty for a false start after moving before the lights went out, something he admitted was completely out of character.
"It was not that great," he said.
"Charles did a major job today and fully deserves the win. From my side, pretty bad from the get-go. My jump start, which I have done very few times in the 380-odd races that I've done.
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The F1 calendar for the 2026 season | GB NEWS/GETTY"My hand just moved, just like that. I don't really know where I went; I didn't mean to do it. I didn't even tell my hand to do it."
Hamilton also revealed he struggled with the balance of his Ferrari throughout the race, leaving him unable to match Leclerc's pace during the opening stint.
"Balance-wise, I noticed Charles went up on his balance, I think, in the qualifying.
"I felt the car was really oversteering with the diff settings we had, which took me out.
"I had the biggest understeer at the beginning of the race, so he just pulled away from me; I just couldn't turn the car.
"So until halfway through that first stint, I managed to start turning the car a little bit better with some diff changes.
Lewis Hamilton embraces Charles Leclerc after the British Grand Prix
|GETTY
"But by then the gap was already huge, and then the last second at the stop, it was just one thing after the other."
Hamilton had briefly looked secure in second after Max Verstappen spun out of contention, but the late Safety Car transformed the race.
Attentions will now turn towards the Belgian Grand Prix on July 19.
Hamilton has won the event five times throughout his career so far.