HAMILTON’S PRAISE FOR FERRARI COMES BACK TO HAUNT THE TEAM
Lewis Hamilton arrived at Monza believing Ferrari had finally started responding to his demands, but David Croft believes the team failed to repay that faith when it mattered most.
Before his second Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, Hamilton described the Scuderia as “the most iconic and best team in the world” and praised the organisation for listening to his feedback. Yet his weekend ended with a disappointing sixth-place finish and serious frustration over Ferrari’s execution.
For Croft, the contrast was impossible to ignore. Hamilton had publicly backed Ferrari, only for the team to make costly mistakes during qualifying and the race.
FERRARI’S QUALIFYING DECISION RAISES QUESTIONS
One of the biggest frustrations came during Q3. Hamilton was left waiting in the garage for more than 20 seconds, meaning he lost the opportunity to benefit from a tow on his first flying run.
At a circuit such as Monza, where straight-line speed and slipstreaming can make a major difference, that decision can have a direct impact on grid position.
Croft argued that Ferrari effectively “let Hamilton down” after hearing how strongly the seven-time world champion had supported the team.
The problem became even bigger when Hamilton and Charles Leclerc collided during the opening lap of the race. Hamilton ultimately recovered to sixth, while Leclerc later crashed and retired, leaving Ferrari with a hugely frustrating home event.
HAMILTON NOW WANTS CLEAR RULES AT FERRARI
The Monza incident exposed an issue that goes beyond one corner.
Hamilton has called for Ferrari to establish clear “rules of engagement” between its drivers after his battle with Leclerc. The Briton believes the team needs a defined understanding of how its two cars should race each other when victory or position is at stake.
That demand is particularly significant because Hamilton spent years at Mercedes in an environment where internal driver battles were governed by established procedures.
Ferrari now faces the challenge of giving Hamilton the structure he believes is necessary without taking away the competitive freedom that makes Formula 1 racing so intense.
ANTONELLI’S MONZA MASTERCLASS MADE FERRARI LOOK EVEN WORSE
Ferrari’s difficult weekend was made more painful by what happened on the other side of the Mercedes garage.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced one of the defining performances of the 2026 season, recovering from 19th on the grid to win his home Italian Grand Prix.
The victory strengthened Antonelli’s position at the top of the championship, with the Mercedes driver sitting on 267 points compared with George Russell’s 201 and Hamilton’s 191.
The irony was difficult to miss. Ferrari’s home crowd watched an Italian driver deliver a historic victory for Mercedes while the Scuderia struggled to convert its own weekend into a major result.
FERRARI’S TITLE DROUGHT CONTINUES TO HAUNT THE SCUDERIA
Croft’s criticism also points toward a much larger problem.
Ferrari remain Formula 1’s most famous and historically successful team, but their championship drought continues. Their last constructors’ title came in 2008, and the gap between reputation and recent success is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Hamilton joined Ferrari with the expectation that his experience could help push the team back toward championship contention. But if Ferrari continues making operational mistakes, losing strategic opportunities and allowing internal conflicts to develop, even Hamilton’s enormous experience may not be enough.
The current constructors’ standings underline the challenge: Mercedes lead with 468 points, Ferrari have 346, while McLaren sit on 287.
KIMI ANTONELLI ESCAPING FERRARI PRESSURE MAY HAVE HELPED HIM
Karun Chandhok offered another intriguing perspective after Antonelli’s victory.
Ferrari had considered Antonelli during his younger years, but the Italian ultimately developed through the Mercedes system. Chandhok believes that may have protected him from the enormous expectations that would have accompanied becoming an Italian Ferrari driver.
That argument became particularly powerful at Monza. Antonelli was surrounded by enormous home support, yet he delivered under pressure without carrying the weight of being Ferrari’s chosen Italian superstar.
For now, Mercedes appear to have the championship leader, the stronger constructors’ position and the momentum. Ferrari, meanwhile, must figure out how to turn Hamilton’s belief in the team into results before another season slips away.
And after Monza, Croft’s question is becoming increasingly difficult for Ferrari to ignore: if Hamilton gave the team his full support, what exactly did Ferrari do to reward that faith?
