HOW HAMILTON'S CALL PUT ANTONELLI IN REACH OF THE TITLE

Hamilton's strategy call in Singapore went wrong, and title leader Kimi Antonelli moved closer to the championship because of it. Ferrari brought pole-contending pace to the tight street circuit, where the slow corners masked their straight-line weakness and let the chassis shine. Hamilton started as part of a two-car Ferrari attack on Verstappen, but the strategy derailed. He finished sixth and apologized afterward, calling it a "painful lesson."

The outcome incidentally pushed Antonelli to the brink of his first title. Hamilton's error created championship math that now favors Antonelli with races running out. Verstappen still drove dominantly to win despite Ferrari's circuit advantage, leaving the Scuderia to rue the aggressive strategy that torched Hamilton's afternoon and yielded nothing.

Antonelli can clinch at the next round if results cooperate. Hamilton's misstep might be what delivers the crown.