It’s a unique race weekend for Lewis Hamilton; the British star has never before driven for Ferrari in the Italian GP. He has won the race at Monza no less than five times and still holds the lap record. During his heyday with Mercedes, he was always in the proverbial lion’s den. However, now that he represents the tifosi, Hamilton is thoroughly enjoying a new ‘home race’ at the Temple of Speed.
In the run-up to the Italian GP, Hamilton was asked about his first edition as a Ferrari driver. Earlier this week, he already had a spectacular afternoon in the heart of Milan; together with teammate Charles Leclerc, he was hoisted onto a podium for thousands of ecstatic tifosi. “It’s quite incredible,” he admitted. “It’s everything I ever expected and more.” During the first practice sessions, Hamilton also gained confidence, much to the delight of the Ferrari fans at the circuit. In the first free practice, he topped the time sheets, and in the second practice, he clocked a respectable fourth time.
“Now I’m driving in blue,” Hamilton referred to the special Ferrari suits for Monza, “but I joined the team to drive in red. The whole experience is incredible; from standing here in the garage and driving out in the red car, to that event in Milan with the tifosi. It’s everything I expected and more.” The first practices are also promising. “FP1 was a strong session, as was FP2,” he continued. “We made some changes in between that perhaps made the car a bit worse, but it’s good that we can learn from this now.”
Aiming for the Podium
The seven-time world champion is confident that he knows how Ferrari can make a good impression during the qualification. “There are plenty of positive points to mention after Friday,” he said optimistically. “I hope to perform even better tomorrow.” Can Hamilton make a bid for the top starting positions with Ferrari? “I think McLaren will still be very, very fast,” he emphasized. “It’s very exciting in the top five, even in the top ten. It’s going to be a challenge. Besides, it’s not easy to overtake, and of course, I have that penalty, which is a shame.” The Brit receives a grid penalty of five places following the race weekend in Zandvoort.
Hamilton is also eyeing his first podium finish with Ferrari at Monza. A grid penalty will obviously make it more difficult to secure a place on the podium, but the seven-time world champion remained notably positive. “I’m optimistic,” he assured finally. “I still feel that I have the potential to move forward. After Friday, I’m much more satisfied with the car. I naturally hope that this continues tomorrow.”
