Lewis Hamilton ended the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday (6) with a harsh reflection on his fight for the 2026 Formula 1 title: for the seven-time champion, Ferrari has already missed the moment when it could have adopted team orders to favor his campaign against Charles Leclerc.
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After finishing Monza only in sixth place, the seven-time champion ruled out the possibility of team intervention in his favor at this stage of the season: “I think from today, we have lost too much ground to them in points, and it is too late for those decisions to come. It’s many, many weeks too late.”
The scenario that led Hamilton to this assessment was particularly negative for Ferrari. On the first lap, Leclerc ended up pushing his teammate off the track. Then, the Monegasque crashed at high speed into the Parabolica barrier, causing a red flag.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli staged a great comeback. The Mercedes driver had started 19th after receiving engine-related penalties but moved up through the pack and won the race. With the result, he opened a 76-point lead over Hamilton.
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Ferrari’s situation also became complicated in the constructors’ championship. After Mercedes’ one-two finish in Monza, the Scuderia is now 122 points behind. McLaren is third, with 287 points, just 59 behind Ferrari.
Despite the unfavorable situation, Hamilton said he does not intend to give up the fight: “Probably all I can do is try to show up. I will get up tomorrow morning, I will give my best,” he said. “I think, deep down, today I feel extremely disappointed for the tifosi who showed up for us today, for the guys at the factory who are really giving their all.”
The driver also admitted that the moment is difficult for Ferrari and for his own campaign: “This week is tough,” he added. “I am giving everything I can, and sometimes it’s just not enough. You need all the other things to align.”
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