Hamilton admits own Q3 performance was “absolutely ridiculous”

An honest Hamilton blames himself for P6 at Monza

Lewis Hamilton admits that he didn’t do a good job in Q3 at the Italian GP, saying that his own performance was “absolutely ridiculous” and “completely unacceptable” after he could manage only sixth place.

Hamilton topped Q2 at Monza after getting a good tow, but he slipped to the back of the McLaren/Mercedes/Ferrari group after losing time early in his last lap.

He starts ahead of the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

“I wasn’t expecting more, but I was expecting to do a better job than I did,” he said when asked by this writer about the drop-off from Q2 to Q3.

“First one, we were a bit further off than anticipated. The second one, obviously, we were quickest, and there were small areas to improve. And then the third I just didn’t do the job. I didn’t extract the maximum.

“Turn 1 and 2, I lost a tenth and a half to my previous Q2 lap, and then lost another tenth in Turn 11. So that’s just absolutely ridiculous from my side, completely unacceptable, and it’s just totally me, nobody else.”

Hamilton has shown good long pace at Monza, but he’s realistic about the possibility of challenging for victory on Sunday.

“So far behind now,” he said. “The chance that of fighting for a race win is out the window. I think tomorrow just got to try and recover as much as I can, and see if I can get past the Ferraris, and see if I can try challenging to get to the podium.”

Hamilton admitted that the Kimi Antonelli announcement – which brought home the fact that he’s leaving the team – had an impact on him.

“I’ve known for ages,” he said. “I knew it’d be announced this morning, and I definitely woke up, and it was very, very, very surreal to just to have officially confirmed my seat is going. I’ve held onto it for so long.

“So it was quite emotional this morning, but really, really happy for Kimi and for this team. I know Kimi is going to do a great job.”

Hamilton admitted that there will be some emotion around the remaining races with Mercedes.

“It’s been there all year, every single race, when you turn up,” he said. “I love my team so much, been through a hell of a lot together. So it will be emotional, every single race, because every race we do, it’s the last time at that particular place, and every race, we get closer and closer to the last time I’ll be in a Mercedes.

“My focus right now is to try and do the best job as I can for the team. And as we said, to finish on a high, and I’ve got to, I’ve got to find myself in qualifying somehow. My race pace is great. Just got to figure out how to get back to my old self.”

Regarding Antonelli he said: “He’s a great kid, and he’s got a good family around him, a good head on his shoulders, and very talented. He’s going to do great. I’m really excited for him.”