Hamilton finished fourth at Zandvoort after using a strategy that allowed him to run longer on his tyres than several of his rivals.
The Ferrari driver was able to attack while others managed their tyre life, and he eventually moved ahead of Oscar Piastri before closing in on Leclerc.
Hamilton then asked Ferrari to let him through so he could continue his charge, but Leclerc remained ahead for another two laps before making his pit stop.
The delay frustrated Hamilton, who told his team over the radio: “Great way of wasting time, good job.”
Leclerc later explained that he had not been instructed to move aside and had actually been told to stay out when he first passed the pit entry.
Hamilton felt those lost seconds were crucial when he tried to catch George Russell for third place late in the race.
A late Virtual Safety Car gave Hamilton an opportunity to attack Russell on much fresher tyres, but a second VSC on lap 70 of 72 neutralised his charge after debris was left on track following the collision between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
Hamilton eventually settled for fourth, scoring 12 points. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished second, while Russell took third, leaving him level with Hamilton on 183 points in the championship. Russell holds second place on countback after claiming two wins compared with Hamilton’s one.
Antonelli now leads Hamilton by 59 points.
Hamilton was convinced the time lost behind Leclerc had made the difference.
“It felt like that was the closest opportunity I had,” Hamilton said.
“I do think the time was lost when I was behind Charles. I think that ultimately meant I had a bigger distance to cover to try and catch up to George.”
The seven-time world champion also pointed to Mercedes’ efficiency in managing its race strategy.
“I’m looking ahead and seeing Mercedes, and they execute like they’ve got the car that’s fighting for a championship in the lead, and they did it straight away,” Hamilton said.
“And here I’m sitting back losing seconds. It is something that we need to discuss offline.”
Hamilton has managed just one podium in the five races since his victory in Barcelona and admitted Ferrari must improve if they are to challenge for the championship.
“I’m here to win, and I really believe that this team can win,” he said.
“To win championships, you have to pick up every point. The last few races have been difficult with penalties, and I lost several seconds behind Charles, which I think ultimately would have made the difference at the end.
“My goal is to try and lead this team to the championship, and we’ve got some work to do for sure.”
