Lewis Hamilton 'absolutely furious' at... as Brit baffled by...

Lewis Hamilton ‘absolutely furious’ at… as Brit baffled by…read more

Lewis Hamilton expressed his frustration after a disappointing qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix, where he could only manage sixth place, trailing his Mercedes teammate George Russell, who secured third. The seven-time world champion had been on pace with Russell throughout the session and seemed poised for a strong finish, but a few costly mistakes dashed his hopes of a top-three spot.

Hamilton, clearly upset with himself, reflected on his performance during an interview with Sky Sports F1. “I am furious, absolutely furious,” he admitted. “I could have been on pole, at least on the front row. I just didn’t do the job. I lost a tenth and a half into Turn One, and then a tenth in the last corner. No one to blame but myself.”

The veteran driver, who has struggled with qualifying in recent races, acknowledged that it has been a persistent challenge. “Qualifying has been my weakness for a minute now, and I can’t figure it out,” he continued. “I will keep trying. I’ll be kicking myself for the next couple of hours, but I need to move forward.”

Despite his disappointment, Hamilton remained optimistic about the upcoming race, praising the team’s efforts and the car’s performance. “We have a good race car, the team has done an amazing job. The car felt better, and the team deserves better,” he said, hinting that Mercedes still has potential for success at Monza. He even made a lighthearted comment about his potential successor, 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who has been announced as Hamilton’s future replacement at Mercedes once he departs for Ferrari. “Maybe they will get that [success] with Kimi,” Hamilton added.

While Hamilton was critical of his own performance, his teammate George Russell struck a more positive tone after securing a strong third-place finish. Russell acknowledged that it had been a challenging session, particularly in Q1 and Q2, but he was pleased with his final result. “It was great,” Russell said. “Ending up P3, a little bit better than I expected because it was a really tough session. Fortunately, we saved it until the end. Not too far behind the McLarens.”

Russell also highlighted the strong competition in the current Formula 1 season, noting how close the field has been. “They’re so fast at the moment,” he said, referring to McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who outpaced both Mercedes drivers in qualifying. “We’re working so hard to catch them up, but I’m super happy with third. I think it’s going to be a tight battle. Everybody’s so close out there. It’s so exciting for F1.”

Looking ahead to the race, Russell seemed energized by the challenge and expressed his excitement about the opportunity to fight for a good result. “We’ve all been waiting for this competition, and knowing if you do a great job, you’ve got a chance of victory. So, I’m pretty pumped for tomorrow,” he said.

To prepare for the race, Russell planned to indulge in some traditional Italian cuisine, joking that he would eat pizza to fuel up and avoid being too light on race day. “Hopefully, we can fight for a good result,” he concluded.

As the Mercedes drivers prepare for the Italian Grand Prix, they will need to navigate a fiercely competitive field, with McLaren and Ferrari poised to challenge them at every turn. However, both Hamilton and Russell remain determined to deliver a strong performance for the team.