Hamilton slams 'pretty bad' Ferrari execution in Monza qualifying

Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated by Ferrari's qualifying execution at Monza, calling the team's Q3 'pretty bad' after a disjointed session left him fifth – later promoted to fourth by Oscar Piastri's penalty. The seven-time champion believes the SF-26 was capable of more.

Why it matters:

Monza is Ferrari's home race, and the tifosi expected a front-row challenge after encouraging practice pace. Instead, Ferrari again failed to convert potential into performance when it mattered, leaving both drivers on a recovery mission and raising familiar questions about the team's execution under pressure.

The details:

• Hamilton said Q1 was solid, but a long pit-lane wait before Q2 hurt his pace: 'For some reason, we just didn't have the pace.' He cited tyre pressures and temperatures as possible factors.
• In Q3, Hamilton was isolated with no slipstream. 'The execution in Q3 was pretty bad,' he said. Without a car ahead, his braking references changed and he lost his rhythm.
• Leclerc survived Q2 by just 0.008s and admitted Ferrari had 'many issues in the background'. He felt one place better was possible, but praised Pierre Gasly's perfect job to take a stunning maiden pole for Alpine.
• The SF-26 looked competitive in practice, making the gap between potential and Saturday's result even more frustrating.

What's next:

Hamilton will start fourth, and Ferrari must regroup quickly. Monza's long run to Turn 1 offers overtaking chances, but the Scuderia knows it gave away a chance to challenge at the front. Both drivers will target a strong recovery on Sunday.