Lewis Hamilton has warned that qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza will be an extremely close affair, describing a potential pole position at Ferrari’s home circuit as a "dream" for the seven‑time world champion. The British driver, who has struggled to match his teammate Charles Leclerc in both Friday practice sessions, remains optimistic that the recent engine upgrade delivered to the Ferrari could give the team the speed needed to challenge for the top spot on the grid. In the first practice session, Leclerc posted the fastest lap, while the second session saw Mercedes’ George Russell claim the top time, with Leclerc second and Hamilton only managing fifth place, trailing behind rookie Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Despite the mixed results, the overall performance of the Ferrari suggests they have the pace to fight for pole, especially after the introduction of a new power unit that appears to have closed the gap to the leading Mercedes. Qualifying will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the session will feature a two‑to‑one advantage for Ferrari due to the fact that Antonelli, who leads the championship by 59 points, has already incurred a grid‑penalty for exceeding his allocated engine components.
As a result, he will start from the back of the grid regardless of where he finishes the qualifying run, giving Ferrari an extra strategic edge. "It’s going to be tight, it’s very close," Hamilton said in the post‑practice interview.
"We’re up against the McLarens and the Mercedes, they are very, very competitive. Every weekend the Mercedes is just really, really quick. It’ll be tough, for sure, but we need to knuckle down tonight and see if we can pull something out." When asked whether a front‑row start or even pole at Monza was within reach, Hamilton replied, "That’s the dream, the ultimate dream. Whether we can achieve it is the big question, and it will take a lot of work tonight to identify any mistakes and areas where we can improve – there are plenty of places we can get better.
Also, being in the right place at the right time on track will help a lot." Antonelli, despite not being a direct contender for pole, echoed Hamilton’s assessment that the battle will be fierce. The 20‑year‑old Italian currently leads the drivers’ standings, with Russell and Hamilton trailing by 59 points and Norris in fourth, 83 points behind. Mercedes has strategically chosen Antonelli’s home race as the venue for him to serve his inevitable penalty, believing that the high‑speed nature of Monza will give him a better chance to recover positions during the race compared with more technical circuits later in the season. The young Italian explained his perspective on the weekend: "Today was a bit different from usual – more focus on long runs, which felt a little odd, but overall it was a good day.
We collected a lot of data and are looking forward to the next few days. Ferrari definitely took a step forward with the new engine and now the speeds are comparable. We know how strong their car is in the corners, so tomorrow’s pole fight will be very tight." McLaren’s Lando Norris arrived in Italy riding a wave of confidence after consecutive victories in Hungary and the Netherlands, hoping to keep his championship challenge alive. However, the British driver expressed disappointment after a difficult weekend in practice, noting that the characteristics of Monza – a circuit dominated by long straights and high‑speed corners – differ significantly from the recent tracks where McLaren had excelled.
Norris admitted, "Not very decent. Just struggling a lot more with pace.
In the corners we expected to be good at we’re bad at, and in the corners we expected to be bad at, we’re not so bad at. But we’re still off. So not in a great place at the minute. We’ll see what we can do overnight but it’s going to be tougher than before for sure.
It’s close between a lot of the guys at the top. The guys behind are not that far either so they can easily surprise us.
I definitely don’t feel we are in the fight for pole at all but we need to focus on getting a decent result." The weekend schedule is packed with supporting series. On Saturday, the F3 Sprint kicks off at 8:25 a.m., followed by the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 11:15 a.m. (the session itself starts at 11:30 a.m.). The F2 Sprint runs at 1:10 p.m., leading into the build‑up for qualifying at 2:15 p.m., with the actual qualifying session slated for 3 p.m.
on Sky Sports Main Event as well as the dedicated F1 channel. The day concludes with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 5 p.m. Sunday’s agenda includes the F3 Feature Race at 7:10 a.m., the F2 Feature Race at 8:40 a.m., and the Porsche Supercup at 10:40 a.m. The main event – the Italian Grand Prix – begins its build‑up at 12:30 p.m., with the race itself starting at 2 p.m.
The chequered flag falls at 4 p.m., followed by post‑race analysis and Ted’s Notebook at 5 p.m. Monza, known as the "Temple of Speed," is a circuit that rewards low‑downforce setups and powerful engines, making it a perfect showcase for Ferrari’s recent engine upgrade. The combination of long straights, the iconic Parabolica, and the high‑speed Variante Ascari creates a unique challenge where slipstreaming and precise braking are crucial. For Hamilton, mastering these elements will be essential if he hopes to convert his dream of a pole position into reality.
Fans can watch the entire weekend live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW – a contract‑free service that allows cancellation at any time. The anticipation is high, and as the teams fine‑tune their cars and drivers prepare mentally and physically, the Italian Grand Prix promises to deliver a thrilling qualifying session where every tenth of a second could determine the starting order for one of the most historic races on the Formula 1 calendar.