Lewis Hamilton doubts Ferrari are ‘willing’ to try one tactic that could secure pole at Monza

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Ferrari have scored pole position for the F1 Italian Grand Prix 23 times to date, yet Lewis Hamilton doubts they will use one tactic to win qualifying at Monza in 2025.

The Scuderia have returned home to the Temple of Speed this weekend, on the back of their second-worst round of the campaign. Only Ferrari’s double disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix in March handed them more pain than their double DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both crashed out of the Dutch GP at Turn 3 on Laps 23 and 53 of 72 last week. A downshift problem made Hamilton lock up and spin on the damp painted advertisement. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed into Leclerc in the Dutch GP.

Lewis Hamilton doubts Ferrari will try to work a slipstream in Italian Grand Prix qualifying

Ferrari will now hope to bounce back at Monza this weekend, as they arrive at the Italian GP for round 16 of the 2025 F1 season yet to win a Grand Prix this term. Leclerc scored Ferrari’s only pole of 2025 in Hungary after the Monegasque beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.026s.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Italian GP from Lauda’s return to Verstappen vs Hamilton

The smooth surface at Monza has raised confidence at Ferrari that they can fight McLaren at the Italian GP, as the level terrain should let the Scuderia run the SF-25 low to the ground. Ferrari have struggled throughout the season to run their car low enough to unlock its pace.

But Hamilton doubts Ferrari will look to increase their chances of scoring pole at Monza by trying to have the Briton or Leclerc give the other a slipstream during Saturday’s qualifying for the Italian GP. Monza’s long straights make getting a slipstream increasingly important.

Hamilton said in the Thursday press conference for the Italian GP: “A slipstream for Leclerc for pole? Ferrari did that a few years ago, I’m thinking of [Kimi] Raikkonen and [Felipe] Massa [in 2006].

“I’ve always thought it was a risk for one of the two drivers, but I’d do it if it helped Leclerc. On the other hand, I don’t think the team is willing to do something like that.”

Lewis Hamilton has scored a record seven Italian GP pole positions at Monza

Ferrari last took pole position for the Italian GP in 2023 with Carlos Sainz, while Leclerc took pole in 2022 and also won from pole at Monza in 2019. Leclerc won the 2024 Italian GP with a one-stop strategy, as well, after he split McLaren’s Piastri and Lando Norris on the first lap.

Hamilton will now experience Monza and the Italian GP as a Ferrari driver for the first time in 2025 after replacing Sainz in Maranello this year. The 40-year-old has won the Italian GP a joint record five times with Michael Schumacher, and has taken pole at Monza seven times.

Mercedes saw Hamilton take his most recent pole at Monza in 2020, when Pierre Gasly won the Italian GP driving for AlphaTauri. Gasly capitalised on Hamilton’s stop-and-go penalty for entering the pit lane while it was closed, for what remains the Frenchman’s only career win.