Ferrari extracted almost everything it could from the SF-26 in 2026 Italian Grand Prix qualifying, but it was not enough to secure a place on the front row at Monza. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, with Lewis Hamilton fifth, while Pierre Gasly produced the surprise of the session by putting Alpine on pole position.
After FP3, Ferrari was still struggling to find the balance it wanted with its two SF-26 cars. The operating window remained narrow, forcing compromises that prevented the car from expressing its full potential. At Monza, everything mattered: tyre preparation, Power Unit performance, downforce level and execution. Ferrari had potential, but once again extracting all of it over a complete qualifying lap proved difficult.
2026 Italian GP qualifying Q1: Ferrari progresses without showing its full potential
The two Ferraris began their first qualifying runs on the red-marked Pirelli Soft tyres, using two brand-new sets and paying particular attention to their activation. One of the characteristic traits of the SF-26 is that it tends to put less energy into the tyres. While that can be beneficial in certain conditions, it can also delay reaching the correct operating window, particularly at the front axle.
Charles Leclerc’s first attempt was not especially convincing, with the Monegasque unable to find the feeling he wanted from the car. He therefore chose to complete an additional lap compared with Lewis Hamilton to better understand how the SF-26 was reacting to the track conditions.
Charles Leclerc improved but remained behind Lewis Hamilton. The British driver had not produced a dramatically stronger lap either, but his time was sufficient for him to remain in the cockpit while the car sat inside the Ferrari garage.
As the opening phase of Italian Grand Prix qualifying came to an end, it remained difficult to establish the true hierarchy among the leading cars. Ferrari had apparently not completed particularly clean laps, making its real level difficult to judge. Discussions continued inside the garage as tension increased ahead of the more demanding Q2 session.
Italian GP Q2: Ferrari narrowly survives as battery issues emerge
One encouraging element was that Lewis Hamilton appeared increasingly comfortable with the SF-26 as the session developed, gradually finding ways to work around some of the car’s limitations. In qualifying, however, the competitive picture can change extremely quickly, meaning maximum concentration was required.
The general handling of both Ferraris was good, although still not optimal. Improving that aspect could have been decisive in the fight for a major result. Ferrari therefore sent both cars back out on Soft tyres, initially choosing two used sets. The strategy was designed to preserve two fresh Soft-tyre opportunities for Q3 and maximise the team’s chances in the final phase.
On the out-lap, the pit wall asked the drivers to complete more weaving than originally planned. That reinforced the impression that Ferrari was still having some difficulty putting sufficient energy into the front tyres.
Charles Leclerc’s lap was reasonably strong both in terms of lap time, considering the used tyres, and overall handling. However, the problems that had appeared during FP3 were still present. Ferrari had already spent much of the weekend working to optimise the balance between the chassis and the SF-26 Power Unit and energy-management system, an especially important factor around Monza.
Lewis Hamilton was fractionally slower and, like Charles Leclerc, returned to the pits after his lap to switch to fresh Soft tyres. Then, during the final Q2 run, Ferrari’s battery nightmare materialised.
Lewis Hamilton managed to reach Q3 by just one thousandth of a second, while Charles Leclerc survived by only eight thousandths. It was an unexpected warning for Ferrari and a result that will give the team plenty to analyse.
Italian GP Q3: Charles Leclerc threatens pole before Ferrari falls to P4-P5
On the first attempt in Q3, Charles Leclerc produced a lap that left him only 0.075 seconds away from pole position. Lewis Hamilton’s opening effort was far more difficult, with the seven-time world champion ending up eight tenths away from the fastest time.
After a brief pause in the garage, both Ferraris prepared for one final attack. Lewis Hamilton studied Charles Leclerc’s warm-up procedure because preparing the tyres correctly and hitting the right operating window was absolutely crucial.
The two Ferrari drivers prepared their final laps and attacked, but neither managed a perfect run. Both suffered from oversteer through the Roggia chicane, and their final performances were almost identical.
The result was fourth place for Charles Leclerc and fifth for Lewis Hamilton. Ahead of them were Lando Norris in the McLaren, George Russell in the Mercedes and, remarkably, Pierre Gasly in the Alpine, who secured pole position.
The French car is powered by the Mercedes Power Unit, although the Alpine A526 cannot simply be considered a superior overall package to the Mercedes W17. Detailed telemetry analysis will therefore be required to understand precisely how Pierre Gasly was able to extract such a result at Monza.
Ferrari’s own Power Unit programme has been a major focus during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, including development work on the ADUO-2 turbo specification introduced for Monza. Yet qualifying once again demonstrated that outright potential alone is not enough if every part of the package cannot be optimised simultaneously.
Ferrari hopes stronger race pace can change the picture at Monza
One recurring theme therefore remains: Ferrari continues to encounter an issue somewhere in the performance equation that ultimately prevents the SF-26 from fully optimising its potential. Whether it concerns tyres, energy management, balance or execution, something has repeatedly stood between Ferrari and the maximum possible result.
Starting from the second and third rows is certainly not what Ferrari had hoped for at its home Grand Prix. However, the SF-26 has generally performed better in race conditions than over a single qualifying lap, giving the Scuderia hope that the same pattern can emerge again on Sunday.
In front of the Tifosi at Monza, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will now attempt to turn fourth and fifth on the grid into a stronger result when the points are awarded. The finer details behind the SF-26’s performance will also remain central to Ferrari’s ongoing technical analysis as the team works to understand why its qualifying potential could not be fully converted into starting positions.
