Lewis Hamilton believes it will be a tough race for him on Sunday in the Italian Grand Prix to try and pass Alex Albon and Oscar Piastri; watch the race on Sunday live from 2pm, with build-up beginning at 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1
Last Updated: 02/09/23 6:51pm
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Lewis Hamilton says he has not had the ‘greatest’ weekend after qualifying in P8 for the Italian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton says he has not had the ‘greatest’ weekend after qualifying in P8 for the Italian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton admitted it was “not easy” to accept being outpaced by the Williams of Alex Albon during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver will start Sunday’s race in eighth with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri directly in front of him, and Albon a place further ahead.
The seven-time world champion had to work hard just to reach Q3 as he struggled with the rear of his car throughout the qualifying hour and is expecting Albon’s Williams will continue to frustrate him in the race.
Hamilton described the session as “not the greatest” with the fact team-mate George Russell qualified fourth undoubtedly adding to his disappointment.
“I think we are all very similar pace,” he told Sky Sports F1.
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Alex Albon and George Russell discuss whether to tow or not to tow works best during qualifying at Monza
“What’s impressive is to see how quick the Williams is – to be leapfrogged by the Williams and the McLaren, it’s not easy.
“George (Russell) did a great job [on Saturday], so I’ve just got to try to progress forward somehow tomorrow [Sunday].
“The Williams will be almost impossible to overtake because they’re fastest on the straights, but when there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Mercedes have recovered from a poor start to the season to hold second behind the dominant Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, but have come under pressure in recent races from McLaren and Williams.
While McLaren moved into podium contention with a hugely impactful series of mid-season upgrades, Williams have gradually improved to give Albon a car capable of regularly challenging for points.
The threat of Albon’s straight line speed is also already on Piastri’s mind, with the McLaren rookie also admitting it will be difficult to pass the Williams.
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Ted Kravitz is in the paddock as he reviews all the biggest stories from qualifying at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix
“Clearly we are lacking some pace to the front guys so we will see what we can do tomorrow [Sunday],” Piastri told Sky Sports F1.
“We will not be going past Williams, not on a straight at least.
“We will see what we can do. I think we know that this track with such long straights is still not ideal for us.
“We are starting in the points and will try and finish there too.”
Rosberg: Hamilton will hate finishing behind Russell
Hamilton’s former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg said the Brit’s struggles were “strange” and his disappointment will be compounded by Russell’s relatively impressive display.
“It was just a bit strange. From Q2 onwards Lewis started to struggle a little bit,” 2016 world champion Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1.
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Carlos Sainz takes a sensational pole for the Italian Grand Prix as he beats Max Verstappen by the smallest of margins
“It is a challenge though, going from hard, to medium, to soft, and the balance of the car can run away from you a little bit, and a being a little off can cost you a lot of time.
“So for some reason Lewis just didn’t find his way here [on Saturday]. It can happen that you have a day like that.
“You can see he’s really down, he still hates to come behind his team-mate.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Italian GP schedule
Sunday September 3
7.10am: F3 Feature Race
8.15am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP build-up
2pm: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
