Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari’s tyre strategy late in the 2026 Italian Grand Prix as a prolonged stint on the medium compound faded and his recovery drive ended in sixth place. The seven-time world champion had climbed as high as third after an early setback at Monza, but Ferrari elected not to pit him during a Virtual Safety Car period that several rivals used to change tyres.
Hamilton eventually crossed the line in P6, his worst result since Miami, and admitted afterwards that Ferrari’s disappointing home race had hurt. His frustration had already emerged over the radio with two laps remaining, when tyre degradation was becoming increasingly difficult to manage and the Briton felt he had been left on the least favourable compound.
Lewis Hamilton’s Italian GP compromised from the opening lap
Ferrari entered the race with both cars on the second row after Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were promoted from fourth and fifth following Oscar Piastri’s penalty. The start quickly complicated that promising position.
Hamilton attempted to pass Charles Leclerc at the first chicane, but the battle ended with the British driver running into the gravel at Turn 2 and losing several places. He subsequently claimed that his teammate had pushed him off the circuit, leaving him eighth by the time the race was stopped following Leclerc’s crash.
The opening-lap confrontation subsequently became another major talking point from Ferrari’s home Grand Prix, with Hamilton later describing the incident as damaging for the team. The full circumstances of the costly Ferrari battle between Hamilton and Leclerc added further context to a race that was already slipping away from the Scuderia.
Medium tyres initially help Hamilton recover at Monza
During the red-flag stoppage, Ferrari switched Hamilton onto medium tyres while most of his rivals selected the hard compound. Initially, that difference worked in his favour. The softer tyre gave him an advantage at the restart and helped the Ferrari driver make progress, briefly reaching third position.
That advantage could not be sustained for the remainder of the Grand Prix. Eventual winner Kimi Antonelli and both McLarens moved ahead, and Hamilton’s challenge increasingly became one of managing the medium tyres over a very long stint.
Ferrari was presented with another strategic decision when Lance Stroll’s stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen used the opportunity to pit, but the Maranello team kept Hamilton on track.
As a result, the seven-time world champion completed the longest medium-tyre stint of any driver in the race.
Hamilton questions Ferrari strategy as medium tyres fade
The consequences became increasingly visible during the closing laps. Hamilton had already asked whether the mediums could realistically survive to the chequered flag, and with two laps remaining he informed the pit wall that he was running out of tyre performance.
At that point, Hamilton expressed his frustration over the radio and indicated that Ferrari had effectively left him on the worst tyre. Grip continued to deteriorate, and one lock-up at the first chicane forced him to negotiate the escape road in a slalom before rejoining.
The Briton ultimately finished a little over five seconds behind Oscar Piastri in fourth, with Hamilton classified sixth. The result left him unable to convert the early pace of the medium compound into a sustained challenge at the front once its performance began to decline.
Hamilton tells Carlo Santi that Ferrari’s Monza result hurts
Once the race was over, Hamilton’s attention turned to both his Ferrari crew and the supporters who had filled Monza. On the cool-down lap, he told race engineer Carlo Santi that the result was painful before thanking him and the garage staff for continuing to give their full effort throughout the weekend.
Hamilton also expressed his gratitude to the Tifosi for their support and apologised that Ferrari had been unable to deliver the result they had hoped to see at the team’s home Grand Prix. His disappointment followed what had already been a difficult recovery race after the first-lap incident and the late loss of tyre performance.
The eight points scored at Monza represented Ferrari’s weakest home result since 2020, when Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel both retired from the Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari execution questioned after difficult home Grand Prix
Concerns over execution had already surfaced after qualifying. Both Ferrari drivers acknowledged on Saturday that the team had fallen short operationally after originally qualifying fourth and fifth, before Oscar Piastri’s penalty elevated them into a second-row lockout.
In the race, Ferrari likely did not possess the outright pace required to challenge the two Mercedes cars. However, the combination of Hamilton’s first-lap trip through the gravel and the decision to extend his medium-tyre stint left open the possibility that a stronger result, potentially including a fight for the final podium position, had been missed.
For Hamilton, Monza therefore ended with several frustrations at once: lost ground on the opening lap, a recovery that briefly carried him towards the front, and a tyre strategy that left him increasingly vulnerable in the closing stages. His sixth-place finish formed part of a painful home weekend for Ferrari as the 2026 Formula 1 season moves on from the Italian Grand Prix.
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