Hamilton refutes Norris' McLaren strategy claim

Lewis Hamilton believes McLaren could have won the Italian Grand Prix had it managed the pace of the race and its tyres better.

The Mercedes driver feels the papaya squad "pushed too hard" which ultimately "killed their tyres" during the 53-lap race at Monza.

After Oscar Piastri took the lead on the opening lap, the Australian set a rapid pace, which the MCL38 ultimately could not live with.

Lando Norris, having fallen to third behind Charles Leclerc after his lap one tryst with his team-mate, was brought in early to undercut the Monegasque driver. This triggered a flurry of pit stops and considerable second stint to make the one-stop viable.

Ferrari, meanwhile, realised around 10 laps into Charles Leclerc's second stint that he could manage his tyres to the chequered flag.

With both McLarens ahead at that stage, he would have needed to pass them both to take victory.

"I think McLaren had the pace [to win], they just pushed too hard," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1, before admitting the Woking team likely never strategised for the one-stop.

"They were doing much too fast laps early on, and killed their tyres. I guess they literally had planned for a two stop, that's why they were pushing so hard."

However, Hamilton, who finished fifth, also disagreed with Norris' claim that a one-stop strategy was not an option for McLaren.

The seven-time drivers' champion evidently did not believe his former team was powerless to prevent Leclerc from taking victory.

"If they just backed off and gone longer they could, for sure, have made a one stop," he added.

"But I could tell. I was getting the information of the [lap] times they were doing, and there's no way your tyres are gonna last at that pace."