Fine margins made the difference in qualifying today, with less than two-tenths separating the top six. Lewis Hamilton was only 0.077 away from second, such is the extent of the battle at the front. Despite these minuscule gaps, Hamilton is extremely angry with his performance. The 7-time Champion was hugely dejected when discussing his session.
Lewis Hamilton immensely self-critical after Italy qualifying
Qualifying frustration for Hamilton
There have been plenty of positives for Mercedes in recent months. The W15 is far more competitive than at the beginning of 2024, thanks to the team’s immensely successful mid-season development.
Even the most recent Zandvoort upgrades, which initially created some problems, have been optimised after two just days in Monza.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are regular contenders for victories, with Mercedes having won three of the last five races. Hamilton is especially strong on race day, where he combines immense speed with controlled tyre management.
However, Russell has enjoyed the upper hand in qualifying this year.
Russell got the better of Hamilton again today, in a session where the 39-year-old believes Pole Position was possible:
“Ah, furious, furious, absolutely furious,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“Because I could’ve been Pole, I think I could have been at least on the front row. I just didn’t do the job at the end – [I] lost a tenth and a half through turn 1 and 2.
“Then I lost another tenth at the last corner, so no one to blame but myself.
“Qualifying’s been my weakness for a minute now, and I can’t figure it out. I’ll keep trying.
“Probably a little bit kicking myself over the next couple of hours. Ultimately, I’ve got to move forward. We have a good race car. The team have done an amazing job this weekend.
“The car’s been feeling so much better, and the team deserve better.
“Maybe they’ll get that with Kimi [Antonelli].”
Mercedes look to race day
Lewis Hamilton is rarely seen so dejected, especially after a qualifying session. The 7-time Champion’s passion clearly persists, along with a relentless pursuit of perfection.
Starting from 6th on the grid, Hamilton will find it difficult to fight for the win. McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari are all within a few tenths of each other, which will make overtaking very difficult.
Strategic options will also be limited, considering that a relatively simple one-stop is expected at the Italian GP.
Still, Mercedes still have chances to give McLaren a headache tomorrow – especially considering the papaya outfit’s poor starts. The long run into turn 1 also creates the opportunity to gain positions on the first lap.
Stepping back from this weekend, Lewis Hamilton’s post-session introspection was brutally honest. It is unusual for the 105-time winner to be so downbeat when speaking to the press.
Then again, his self-criticism is a reminder of the immense standard he holds himself to.
Whilst Hamilton’s qualifying efforts have been underwhelming this year, there is every season for the Mercedes driver to recover on Sunday.
Looking to the remainder of 2024 and Hamilton’s imminent Ferrari stint, his drive to perform at the highest level clearly remains.
