Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes face unexpected threat from Ferrari at Monza

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he faces an unexpected threat from Ferrari in Sunday's Italian GP despite claiming pole position at Monza.

Although Hamilton's seventh consecutive pole leaves the Mercedes driver just one behind Ayrton Senna in the all-time record of successive P1s, it was the unexpected proximity of Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel to the lead Mercedes ahead of Nico Rosberg that provided Saturday's compelling talking point.

"These guys did a great job and they are very close," acknowledged Hamilton. 

"Qualifying on pole is always a great feeling. I've had a couple of poles here, but last year was not such an easy getaway. It's a long run down to turn one, these guys [Ferrari] have been flying so we'll try to do our best, but our race pace has tended to be quite strong. So I hope we see that tomorrow."  

Beaten by Hamilton in all three practice sessions this weekend, any prospect of Rosberg challenging for pole position was realistically over from the moment the upgraded engine Mercedes have introduced this weekend faltered on the German's car, necessitating a change back to the weary unit which Rosberg had used in Spa two weeks ago.

Once again, Rosberg will start Sunday's race on the back foot to his Mercedes team-mate; the difference this weekend, however, is that he will also have to begin behind both Ferraris.

"We had to go back to an engine which has done six races and every kilometre you run you lose a bit of power," rued Rosberg.

"To have the problem here at Monza, which is the absolute power track, is very disappointing. It's a big compromise and that's the reason l am fourth. I'll be a bit slower in the race as well which is not ideal and it will be difficult against those Ferraris."

What a contrast at Ferrari, where Raikkonen's front-row starting berth was his first in two years. Finally, it seems, the Finn may have got on top of the qualifying woes which have plagued him throughout 2015.

"We have probably surprised ourselves a little bit. We expected a strong weekend but this track is probably not our strongest," said Raikkonen. "But it's nice to be here and it's our best qualifying this season as a team."

Ferrari, it seems, have suddenly learnt how to be inconspicuous when it suits them. Almost entirely unnoticed while focus was trained on Mercedes as the world champions spent their remaining development tokens, the Scuderia have themselves introduced a new engine this weekend – a deployment which James Allison, Ferrari's technical director, whose own contract extension passed almost without comment two weeks ago, has credited as the inspiration for their unanticipated surge past the struggling Rosberg.

"Our power unit department have done a great job getting this thing here," Allison told Sky Sports. "It was maybe a little less heralded than the work Mercedes have done but it was fundamental to what we achieved today."

All of which leaves Mercedes anxiously looking over their shoulders and Sunday's race unexpectedly vulnerable to a twist in the predicted tale of a Silver Arrows walkover. "Mercedes have taken a big step forward with their engines but they are only marginally ahead of Ferrari," opined Sky F1's Damon Hill. "Mercedes are under pressure here."

In front of the Tifosi, whose passionate support could be worth a tenth or two to Raikkonen and Vettel, it's game on for Sunday.