Hamilton left puzzled why Ferrari lost their Friday performance level in qualifying

Ferrari entered Monaco qualifying with high expectations after showing strong pace throughout Free Practice, but when the pressure peaked in Q3, the team’s performance dipped just enough to miss out on the front row.

Lewis Hamilton ultimately led the charge for the Scuderia, delivering a committed final lap to secure third place, while teammate Charles Leclerc ended a frustrated fourth after brushing the barriers on his last attempt.

Hamilton, however, was satisfied with his performance — and with the atmosphere that only Monaco can provide: “Monaco always delivers a level of intensity I always enjoy."

“Monaco always delivers one of the standout qualifying sessions of the season, with an incredible crowd and atmosphere and a level of intensity I always enjoy.”

But despite feeling strong in Free Practice, he admitted that the car didn’t give him the same confidence once qualifying began.

“At the start of the session, I didn’t quite have the same confidence in the car that I felt in free practice, so we will need to look closely at what changed, especially as we didn’t make any significant adjustments.”

He noted that the balance felt different — and with margins so tight at the front, even small variations mattered: “I could feel some differences in balance, but the margins were incredibly tight throughout between Kimi, Max, Charles and myself.”

Despite missing out on the front row, Hamilton remained upbeat about Ferrari’s prospects for Sunday: “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race and to the opportunity to bring home a strong result.”

He also praised the work being done behind the scenes at Maranello: "The team at the factory is doing a fantastic job, and I’m confident we can continue to fight more consistently at the front in the races ahead.”