News Summary

Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by Ferrari’s pace at the Italian GP but believes the team missed an opportunity to secure a stronger starting position after a difficult qualifying session at Monza.

Hamilton set the fifth-fastest time in qualifying, a 1:22.011, and will move up to fourth on the grid after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was handed a three-place penalty for impeding Liam Lawson in Q2. Charles Leclerc will start third, meaning both Ferraris occupy the second row.

Ferrari had looked competitive during Friday practice, with Leclerc leading FP1 and Hamilton finishing second as the Scuderia locked out the top two positions. Hamilton also remained in the mix during FP2, although Mercedes ultimately held the advantage over a single lap.

The result was therefore somewhat underwhelming compared with Ferrari’s expectations heading into Saturday. Hamilton said the car itself felt strong, but criticized the team’s execution during the final stages of qualifying.

” It was definitely very difficult. The car was really good in practice and we didn’t change anything for qualifying, so I felt good in Q1, which was solid. We sat and waited, then waited too long to go out in the pit lane for the first Q2 run. We didn’t have the pace,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.

He said Ferrari still needed to understand what caused the loss of performance and was particularly critical of the final segment.

“I’m not sure if it was the tyre pressure, the temperature, what happened, but we have to analyse the execution of Q3, which was really poor. I ended up in the middle of nowhere, with nobody around me,” Hamilton explained.

The Ferrari driver also highlighted how running close to another car can change braking references around Monza, making the lack of traffic particularly costly.

“When you’re following another car and you brake, you arrive many kilometres per hour faster than when you’re on your own into the corner, so the braking distance adjusts. So, it’s all about rhythm, and I got out of rhythm in Q3. The second lap wasn’t terrible, but all the references were different. We weren’t able to optimise.”

Sky Sports reported that Ferrari’s expected qualifying pace never fully materialized, with both drivers only narrowly making it through Q2. Hamilton eventually finished just 0.001s ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto, who was 11th.

Hamilton praises Ferrari progress despite Mercedes straight-line advantage

Despite his frustration with qualifying execution, Hamilton remained positive about the SF-26’s underlying performance.

“We have a really good car. The Mercedes engine is still ahead, but I think we’ve done a good job to get as close as we are, but ultimately they still gain several tenths on the straights. We have to do the best we can.”

Hamilton’s comments come after Ferrari arrived at Monza with a significant technical package aimed at reducing its deficit to Mercedes. The team had also been working to improve its power-unit performance under the 2026 regulations.

Earlier in the week, Hamilton had already praised Ferrari’s progress while emphasizing that race-weekend execution remained an area where the team needed to improve. Hamilton praises Ferrari’s 2026 progress and calls for better execution

The Briton also expects Ferrari to be stronger at circuits where outright power is less decisive.

“We’re hoping for tracks that don’t depend so much on power, but I’m very grateful for the work of the people at the factory. The upgrade I brought here is really significant. That’s the situation we’re in,” Hamilton concluded.

The fourth-place starting position gives Hamilton a strong opportunity to fight for the podium at Ferrari’s home race, although Mercedes and pole-sitter Pierre Gasly’s Alpine will begin ahead. Gasly took his maiden F1 pole with a 1:21.786, beating George Russell by just 0.060s.

FAQ

1. Where will Lewis Hamilton start the 2026 Italian GP?
Hamilton will start fourth at Monza after Oscar Piastri received a three-place grid penalty. Charles Leclerc will start third for Ferrari.

2. What did Lewis Hamilton say went wrong for Ferrari in qualifying?
Hamilton said Ferrari lost rhythm and failed to optimize its Q3 execution. He also pointed to the difficulty of managing references when running alone rather than behind another car.

3. How competitive is Ferrari at Monza?
Ferrari showed strong pace in practice, but Mercedes retained an advantage in straight-line speed. Hamilton nevertheless believes the SF-26 is a “really good car” and that the team has made significant progress with its latest upgrades.