Lewis Hamilton was left visibly frustrated after the Italian Grand Prix qualifying session, describing Ferrari's handling of the final phase as "pretty bad". The Scuderia entered Monza with the expectation of fighting for pole, especially on their home turf, but they never truly entered the mix during any of the knockout rounds. In the end, three Mercedes-powered cars, including a surprise pole from Alpine's Pierre Gasly, outpaced Ferrari in the decisive Q3 segment.
Oscar Piastri's three-place grid penalty meant that Charles Leclerc and Hamilton would still line up on the second row, occupying third and fourth places respectively. While that outcome might appear lucky in hindsight, it masks the underlying issues that plagued the Ferrari drivers throughout the weekend. Both drivers had only managed ninth and tenth quickest times in Q2, and Hamilton narrowly escaped an early elimination at the hands of Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, missing out by a razor‑thin 0.001 seconds. When asked to reflect on his run, Hamilton, who posted the fifth‑fastest time overall, explained to Sky Sports F1 that the session was "definitely very, very tough".
He noted that the car felt strong during practice and the early part of qualifying, and that he made no significant changes heading into Q1, which he described as "solid". However, after a long wait in the pit lane before the first run of Q2, the team seemed to lose the necessary pace.
Hamilton admitted uncertainty about the cause, suggesting it could have been tyre pressures, tyre temperatures, or another factor that required further investigation. The situation deteriorated further in Q3.
Hamilton said the execution was "pretty bad" and that he found himself "out in the middle of nowhere" with no reference car to follow. He explained that when you are chasing another vehicle, you arrive at a corner several kilometres per hour faster, which forces you to adjust braking distances and disrupts rhythm. He felt out of rhythm for the first Q3 run and, although the second run was not a terrible lap, the reference points were different and the team failed to maximise the opportunity.
Leclerc, who qualified third, echoed Hamilton's sentiment, calling the session "a big struggle" and citing "many issues in the background" that the team had to contend with. He acknowledged that the Monza circuit is notoriously difficult for power‑unit optimisation, but stressed that this was not an excuse.
Leclerc praised Alpine for executing a flawless qualifying performance, noting that they surprised many in the paddock with their perfect job. He expressed confidence that Ferrari could recover the ground lost during qualifying, adding that while pole was probably out of reach, a one‑place improvement was realistic if the team could extract more from the car.
Despite the setbacks on Saturday, Ferrari remains positioned near the front of Sunday's grid and cannot be dismissed as a race‑winning contender. Mercedes driver George Russell is still likely to be the favourite, starting from second on the grid, but the upgraded Ferrari engine introduced at Monza was expected to narrow the gap. Hamilton, however, pointed out that Mercedes continues to enjoy a straight‑line speed advantage, gaining several tenths of a second on the high‑speed sections of the circuit. "I think we have a really great car," Hamilton said.
"It's all Mercedes engines up ahead of us and I think we've done a good job to be as close as we are to them, but they're ultimately gaining several tenths still on the straight. That is what it is, and so we have to just do the best we can." He also expressed hope that future tracks might not rely as heavily on outright power, thanking the Ferrari factory team for delivering an upgrade that, while helpful, still leaves them at a disadvantage on the longest straights. Leclerc added that strategic energy deployment during the race could provide opportunities to offset Mercedes' straight‑line superiority.
"On the straights, Mercedes are very strong. In the corners, we are very strong but we are going to be very exposed on the straights and to attack will be difficult," he said.
"But the deployment could make a huge difference one way or another and give us the opportunity to overtake. We will have to play it smart and see where we end up." The weekend schedule continues with a packed lineup: 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 build‑up to the Grand Prix at 12:30 pm. The Italian Grand Prix itself will start at 2 pm, with the chequered flag expected around 4 pm, and post‑race analysis to follow at 5 pm. The event will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, and fans can stream Sky Sports via NOW without a contract, cancelable at any time.