Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment with Ferrari’s handling of the final qualifying session at the Italian Grand Prix, describing it as "pretty bad" after the Scuderia’s hopes of fighting for pole on Saturday evaporated. Expectations had been high for the Italian team at their home circuit, yet they never truly entered the battle for the top spot during any of the knockout rounds.
In the end, three Mercedes-powered cars, including an unexpected pole from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, left Ferrari trailing in Q3. A three-place grid penalty for Oscar Piastri shuffled the starting order, meaning Charles Leclerc and Hamilton will line up on the second row in third and fourth positions respectively. While this outcome may look favourable on paper, it masks the underlying issues that plagued Ferrari during qualifying. Both of the team's drivers had only managed ninth and tenth fastest times in Q2, and Hamilton narrowly avoided an early elimination, edging out Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto by a razor‑thin margin of 0.001 seconds.
Reflecting on the session, Hamilton, who posted the fifth‑quickest time overall, told Sky Sports F1 that the day had been "very, very tough." He explained that the car felt strong in practice and that he made no changes heading into qualifying, which gave him confidence heading into Q1. "Q1 was solid," he said, before describing a long wait in the pit lane for the first run of Q2.
"For some reason we just didn’t have the pace – I’m not sure if it was tyre pressures, tyre temperatures or something else, so we need to investigate that." The British driver was even harsher about the third‑segment of qualifying. "Execution in Q3 was pretty bad," Hamilton said. He painted a vivid picture of finding himself "out in the middle of nowhere" with no reference cars, forcing him to follow a car that arrived at a corner several kilometres per hour faster, which altered braking points and disrupted his rhythm. "It’s all about getting into a groove, and I lost that groove in Q3, run one.
In run two the lap wasn’t terrible, but the reference points were different and we never maximised the opportunity," he added. Leclerc, who finished third in the session, echoed the sentiment, calling the qualifying "a big struggle" and citing "many issues in the background" that the team had to manage. He acknowledged that the Monza circuit is notoriously difficult for extracting maximum power from the power unit, but stressed that this is not an excuse. "Pierre and Alpine did everything perfectly and surprised everyone in the paddock with a flawless performance.
I’m very happy for Pierre," Leclerc said, before turning his focus back to Ferrari. "We need to recover what we lost today. Pole was probably out of reach, but one place better was doable. We didn’t maximise everything, and that’s on us." Despite the setbacks on Saturday, Ferrari remains near the front of the Sunday grid and cannot be dismissed as a race‑winning contender.
Mercedes’ George Russell is likely to start from second place and will be the favourite, but the Scuderia still holds a realistic chance, especially with the upgraded engine package they introduced for Monza. Hamilton noted that while Mercedes still enjoys a straight‑line speed advantage, Ferrari’s car feels competitive. "We have a great car, but Mercedes engines are still ahead on the straights by several tenths. That’s the reality, and we have to do the best we can with it," he explained.
Hamilton also expressed optimism that future circuits that rely less on outright power could play to Ferrari’s strengths. He praised the factory team for delivering the upgrade and emphasized that the current situation is a work‑in‑progress. "We’re hoping for some tracks that don’t rely too heavily on power in the future.
I’m grateful to the guys at the factory for the upgrade – they’re pushing hard. This is just the situation we’re in right now." Leclerc added that strategic energy deployment during the race could provide a vital edge. While Mercedes dominates on the long straights and Ferrari is strong in the corners, the Italian team will be vulnerable on the high‑speed sections. "The deployment could make a huge difference one way or another and give us the opportunity to overtake.
We’ll have to play it smart and see where we end up," he said, hinting at a possible tactical battle over how to manage the hybrid boost and fuel flow. The weekend schedule continues with a packed program: the F3 Feature Race at 7:10 am, the F2 Feature Race at 8:40 am, the Porsche Supercup at 10:40 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm. The Italian Grand Prix itself will kick off at 2 pm, with post‑race analysis and reactions slated for 4 pm, and a final recap at 5 pm. All coverage will be available on Sky Sports Main Event and streamed via NOW, with no long‑term contract required.
The race promises to be a thrilling showdown at the historic Monza circuit, where Ferrari will look to bounce back from a disappointing qualifying and challenge the Mercedes dominance.