Lewis Hamilton has revealed the unusual Ferrari delay that left him completely isolated on track for his first Q3 attempt at Monza, explaining that the tyres had not yet been fitted to his SF-26 while the rest of the field was already leaving the pits. The setback became another example of what the seven-time world champion described as poor execution during a difficult Italian Grand Prix qualifying session for the Scuderia.
Ferrari’s qualifying at its home Grand Prix was far from clean. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc only narrowly made it through Q2, while further problems emerged during the decisive battle for pole in Q3. At a circuit such as Monza, where the slipstream can make a significant difference along the long straights, Hamilton’s first run was compromised by having to complete his lap entirely on his own.
Lewis Hamilton reveals Ferrari tyre delay before Monza Q3 run
The timing of Hamilton’s first Q3 release immediately appeared unusual. The British driver entered the circuit well after the other competitors and therefore had no opportunity to position himself behind another car and benefit from a tow.
Hamilton later explained exactly what had happened inside the Ferrari garage.
“In Q3 I didn’t have the tyres on the car. Everyone went out and I was there with the engine running. I went out 25 seconds later and that made me lose the rhythm,” the Ferrari driver revealed.
The episode was particularly costly in the context of Monza qualifying. Ferrari had already endured a difficult path through the earlier stages, with both cars surviving a tense Q2 before eventually reaching the final part of the session. A broader breakdown of how the session developed can be found in our Ferrari Monza qualifying analysis.
Ferrari also encountered problems with its Q2 run plan
According to Hamilton, the difficulties had started before Q3 despite the Briton entering qualifying with considerable confidence in the SF-26. Overnight work had left him sufficiently satisfied with the car that, unusually, he decided not to make any further changes before qualifying.
“Overnight I did a great job and I was really happy with the car. For the first time ever I didn’t change anything before qualifying, I felt confident. After the first lap in Q1 I felt solid,” Hamilton explained.
However, Ferrari’s planned run sequence became complicated during Q2. Hamilton explained that the intention had been to alternate push laps and slower preparation laps, but the traffic situation and the reluctance among drivers to lead the queue changed the team’s programme.
“In Q2 we were supposed to do a push-pull-push-pull strategy. But everyone was waiting and Charles didn’t want to go out first. So we had to wait, wait and wait. And we only did one push,” he added.
Hamilton frustrated by Ferrari’s Monza qualifying execution
The combination of the Q2 delay and the late release at the beginning of Q3 left Hamilton frustrated with how Ferrari managed the crucial stages of qualifying. He did not hesitate to describe the execution as “terrible”, with the first Q3 attempt especially compromised because he had no other car ahead to provide a reference or slipstream.
That proved particularly significant at Monza, where Ferrari had tailored the SF-26 towards the circuit’s unusual low-drag demands. The team had already introduced specific changes to improve straight-line efficiency, including a modified SF-26 FTM configuration for Monza, making clean execution over a qualifying lap even more important.
Hamilton’s comments therefore highlighted a frustrating contrast. He had entered qualifying pleased with the car and confident enough to leave his set-up unchanged, only for operational delays in Q2 and Q3 to disrupt Ferrari’s programme at precisely the stage when every detail mattered most.
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