Lewis Hamilton expressed clear disappointment with the way Ferrari handled the final phase of qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix, describing it as "pretty bad" after the Scuderia’s hopes of fighting for pole on Saturday evaporated. The expectations had been high for the home team at Monza, a circuit where Ferrari traditionally aims to dominate, yet they never truly entered the contention during any of the knockout rounds. In the decisive Q3 session, three Mercedes-powered cars outpaced the Italian outfit, including a surprise pole position secured by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. A later three-place grid penalty for Oscar Piastri means that Charles Leclerc will line up in third place and Hamilton in fourth, both occupying the second row of the starting grid.
This outcome, while not ideal, could be seen as a small piece of luck given the performance in Q2, where Ferrari’s drivers were only the ninth and tenth fastest. Hamilton narrowly avoided an early elimination at the hands of Audi rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, missing out by a mere 0.001 seconds.
Reflecting on his own run in a qualifying session that was dominated by drivers seeking a slip‑stream boost, Hamilton, who posted the fifth‑fastest time, told Sky Sports F1: "It was definitely very, very tough, yes. The car felt really good in practice and in qualifying I didn't change anything, so I felt good going into Q1, and Q1 was solid.
Then we sat and waited, and we waited very long in the pit lane for the first run of Q2, and for some reason we just didn't have the pace. I'm not really sure why, whether it was tyre pressures, tyre temperatures or whatever, so we need to look into that. Then execution in Q3 was pretty bad.
I ended up out in the middle of nowhere with nobody, and then when you're following another car, you arrive several kilometres faster into a corner, so the braking distances adjust. It's all about getting into rhythm, and I got really out of rhythm for Q3, run one. Q3, run two, it wasn't a terrible lap but the references were all different, and we ultimately didn't maximise." Leclerc, who qualified third, echoed the sentiment, calling the session "a big struggle" and pointing to "many issues in the background that we had to deal with." He added that the challenges were not unique to Ferrari: "I'm pretty sure if we speak in the paddock, everyone had some issues, because it's one of the most difficult tracks to optimise the power unit on.
But that's not an excuse. Pierre and Alpine did everything perfect and I think they surprised everyone in the paddock by doing a perfect job.
I'm very happy for Pierre, by the way. Now it's our job to try and recover what we kind of lost on our own today. I don't think pole was possible but one place better was probably doable and we need to target on maximising everything and today we didn't." Despite the setbacks on Saturday, Ferrari remains positioned at the front of Sunday's grid and cannot be dismissed as a race‑winning contender. Mercedes driver George Russell is still likely to start from second place and will be the favourite to take the checkered flag, but the Italian team’s upgraded engine package for Monza was intended to narrow the straight‑line speed gap that has plagued them all season.
Hamilton acknowledged that Mercedes still enjoys a marginal advantage on the long straights: "I think we have a really great car. 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. We're hoping for some tracks that don't maybe rely too much on power in the future, but I'm really grateful to the guys back at the factory because they did bring an upgrade here, they are really pushing.
This is just the situation that we're in." Leclerc added that strategic energy deployment during the race could provide Ferrari with a chance to offset Mercedes' straight‑line superiority. He explained: "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. 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." Both drivers highlighted the importance of tyre management, brake balance, and aerodynamic setup at Monza, where the thin, high‑speed layout rewards low drag and maximum power.
Hamilton noted that a slight mis‑calculation in tyre pressures or temperatures can quickly erase any advantage gained in the garage, especially when the field is tightly packed and drivers rely on the aerodynamic tow to improve lap times. Leclerc, meanwhile, pointed out that the team’s recent engine upgrade should improve torque delivery out of the corners, potentially allowing the Scuderia to close the straight‑line deficit on the final laps. Looking ahead to race day, the schedule is packed: 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 and the main event at 2:00 pm. The Italian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with a replay and analysis later in the afternoon.
In summary, while Ferrari’s qualifying performance at Monza fell short of expectations, both Hamilton and Leclerc remain optimistic about the race. They recognise the technical challenges posed by the circuit, the slight edge Mercedes holds on the straights, and the potential for clever energy management to turn the tide.
With an upgraded power unit and a determined driver line‑up, the Scuderia will be looking to capitalize on any strategic opportunities that arise during the 306‑kilometre sprint to the checkered flag.