F2 | Hamilton: “Happy with the progress made. Giving a slipstream? I’ve never done it”

British driver Lewis Hamilton concluded qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza in fifth place, a result that will see him start from the tenth position on the grid tomorrow due to a penalty. Despite the result, Hamilton expressed satisfaction with the progress made in terms of car setup and overall confidence in the Ferrari SF-25, while clarifying that providing a slipstream to teammate Charles Leclerc was never part of the plan.

Sometimes, the reasons to smile go beyond the simple result. The fifth place achieved today in qualifying by Lewis Hamilton will transform into the tenth grid slot tomorrow, following the penalty he received at Zandvoort for failing to respect double yellow flags before the race.

However, the British driver believes there are reasons to look forward to the rest of the weekend with confidence, not because of his grid position or the comeback that awaits him, but due to the improvements made so far. These changes have restored a significantly higher level of confidence in the car, continuing the positive momentum from last week.

Yesterday, after the free practice sessions, Hamilton explained that the setup changes introduced for the second session had not worked as expected and that the team would take a step back and pursue a different approach. For Lewis Hamilton, this decision proved to be correct: the interventions carried out before qualifying were beneficial, even if the feeling in the car was not identical to what he experienced during FP1.

“I’m happy with the progress made throughout the weekend. I think about the improvements from last week and how we carried them forward into this week. Overall, I’m quite satisfied with the car,” the seven-time world champion said at the conclusion of qualifying, emphasizing that beyond the simple result, he is pleased with the new approach and the progress achieved in the car setup.

“Already in FP1 the feeling was excellent; I think it was the moment when the car performed at its best. Then we moved into FP2, made some changes for qualifying, and I think that was the maximum we could achieve.”

In an attempt to surprise everyone at Monza, Ferrari adopted an extremely aggressive approach, opting for a very low-downforce rear wing, designed to further enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of the SF-25, already one of its key strengths. This choice made the Ferrari extremely competitive on the straights, but it came at the cost of insufficient downforce in the corners, where Red Bull and especially McLaren proved to be more effective.

This was particularly evident in the second and third sectors, where the Ferrari drivers lost about one-tenth of a second in each split, moving away from the front row. “Yes, in the end it’s about aerodynamic load. You’re faster on the straight, but then in the middle sector you lose a couple of tenths, and a couple of tenths again in the last sector,” Lewis Hamilton confirmed during interviews, highlighting the SF-25’s lack of downforce.

The fundamental problem is that choosing a higher-downforce wing to increase competitiveness in corners would have made it more difficult to gain time on the straights, making it even harder to shine in qualifying. On a single lap, it is possible to exploit the grip offered by new tires, which usually encourages more aggressive setups. In Ferrari’s case, however, this would have excessively penalized aerodynamic efficiency.

“So we’re lacking downforce, even if we’re quicker on the straights. But if we increase the wing angle, for some reason efficiency simply drops: we can’t recover those four tenths in those sectors without losing them again on the straights. So it’s a difficult situation. We knew we had a good pace, but that we would be fourth, fifth, or sixth; we knew that this would be the scenario,” Lewis Hamilton added.

Tomorrow, Lewis Hamilton will start from the fifth row due to the penalty received at Zandvoort. With gaps so small, overtaking will not be easy. However, the extremely low-downforce setup of the Ferrari could turn into an advantage on the straights: the British driver’s stated goal is to climb back up the order and re-enter the top five positions.

“Well, obviously with the penalty and with everyone so close it will be difficult to overtake. But we have good top speed, so I hope to recover some ground. I think it will require a good start, a strong first lap, and a good strategy. Now we’ll regroup to understand what we can do to try to optimize everything.”

One of the most discussed topics after qualifying was the issue of slipstreams. Considering that Hamilton would have to serve the penalty regardless, it was speculated that Ferrari might use him to provide a slipstream for Charles Leclerc to attempt a pole position attack or, at least, secure a front-row start. Ferrari, however, chose not to alter its original plans, and Hamilton himself clarified that he would not provide a slipstream under any circumstances.

“No, it’s not something I’ve ever done at any of the other teams I’ve been with, and it would potentially mean sacrificing one of the drivers. In addition, I already have a five-place penalty, so in terms of points, I needed to be as far forward as possible,” Lewis Hamilton added.