Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari faced a busy night of work after a subdued Friday at the Italian Grand Prix, with the seven-time world champion looking for a better set-up before qualifying at Monza. Lewis Hamilton finished FP2 in fifth place, around four and a half tenths behind session leader George Russell, and highlighted straight-line speed as one of his main concerns.
The British driver was particularly focused on Ferrari’s performance on the straights, even suggesting that there could be an aspect of the car’s energy deployment that was not working optimally. That issue is especially important at Monza, where the long full-throttle sections place enormous emphasis on both aerodynamic efficiency and Power Unit performance. Ferrari has already been analysing its energy deployment compared with Mercedes at Monza as part of its efforts to improve the SF-26.
Lewis Hamilton concerned by Ferrari straight-line speed at Monza
After FP2, Lewis Hamilton did not hide his disappointment with the afternoon session. Although Ferrari’s long-run performance was not especially poor, the British driver felt there was still pace missing and identified straight-line performance as one of the areas requiring attention.
“The long runs weren’t too bad, we were just lacking a bit of pace. Some of it was because of the straight-line speed and some because of the tow, as I was running pretty much on my own. Mercedes, as always, is very fast on the straights, so we have some work to do overnight to improve that aspect and find a better balance,” Lewis Hamilton told F1TV after Friday’s running.
The lack of a tow is particularly relevant at Monza, where running behind another car can have a significant impact on straight-line speed. Even so, Mercedes’ performance remained a concern for the Ferrari driver, with the Scuderia already facing a Monza set-up challenge against Mercedes as it searches for the best compromise between low drag and overall balance.
Ferrari works overnight to improve Lewis Hamilton’s set-up
The work did not stop when Friday’s track action ended. Both at the circuit and back at Maranello, Ferrari continued analysing the available data in an attempt to improve the package for its drivers before Saturday’s sessions.
Lewis Hamilton expects the fight at the front to be extremely close, with both McLaren and Mercedes posing a major threat over one lap.
“It’s going to be a very tight and hard-fought battle. We’ll be up against very, very competitive McLaren and Mercedes cars. Every weekend Mercedes is extremely fast. It will be tough, but tonight we’ll work as hard as we can to see if we can find something,” he explained.
The task also involves understanding whether Ferrari made any mistakes with the initial configuration and identifying areas where the balance can be refined. Straight-line performance is not determined by a single factor, with the SF-26 Power Unit and overall efficiency package both playing important roles around Monza.
Lewis Hamilton still sees pole position as the ultimate target
Despite the difficult Friday, Lewis Hamilton has not abandoned the most ambitious possible objective for qualifying. At a circuit where track position, slipstreaming and timing can all influence a lap, the Ferrari driver believes being in the right place at the right moment could prove particularly valuable.
“I mean, pole is the ultimate dream. There will be a lot of work tonight to understand whether we made any mistakes and whether there are areas we can improve. Being in the right place at the right time on this track will help us a lot,” Lewis Hamilton concluded.
Ferrari’s overnight task is therefore clear: improve the SF-26’s balance, understand the straight-line deficit and give Lewis Hamilton a stronger platform for qualifying. After a Friday that fell short of his expectations, Saturday will reveal whether the work carried out at Monza and Maranello has been enough to move the British driver closer to Mercedes and McLaren.
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