Hamilton BLASTS F1 team over costly Monza error

Lewis Hamilton has criticised an F1 team over an error that cost them the win at Monza.

The Mercedes star endured another difficult weekend at the Italian GP, only setting the sixth fastest time in qualifying in a performance that left the star ‘furious’.

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Hamilton gave a harsh verdict on his qualifying pace, claiming the team deserved better in what was an angry admission from the champion.

The 39-year-old also failed to make gains in the race and finished fifth, just in front of Max Verstappen, as Ferrari appear to have usurped Mercedes in the development race.

Did McLaren throw away a Monza victory?

Charles Leclerc achieved a spectacular victory at home for Ferrari, against the odds after completing a one-stop strategy.

Whilst Lando Norris started the race from pole position, he was soon overtaken by his team-mate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap of the race.

McLaren decided to opt for a two-stop race, and finished with Piastri in P2 and Norris in P3 as Leclerc took a popular win.

In an interview following the Italian GP, Hamilton criticised McLaren’s strategy, and outlined that they could have made a one-stop strategy work.

“I think McLaren had the pace. They just pushed too hard,” Hamilton said to Sky Sports.

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“They were doing much too fast laps early on, and killed the tyres. And they, I guess they literally had planned for a two-stop.

“That's why they were pushing so hard. If they just backed off and gone longer they could, for sure, have made a one-stop.

“But I could tell, I was getting the information of the the times they were doing, and there's no way your tyres are going to last at that pace.”

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