This weekend marks Ferrari’s one shot at redemption in front of their home crowd, with excitement and anticipation lingering throughout the weekend as Formula 1 heads to Monza, the temple of speed, for the Italian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first time in the Scuderia red, but he also feels shocked after receiving a five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement before the Dutch Grand Prix.
A shocking reaction to the penalty
“It was a shock,” Hamilton admitted during Friday’s Drivers’ Press Conference.
The driver acknowledged that their time in Zandvoort led to some questionable decisions that many wouldn’t necessarily approve of, like Carlos Sainz receiving a 10-second time penalty for an on-track collision with VCARB driver Liam Lawson, to which Williams requested a ‘right to review.’
Similarly, he shared that while he did lift under the yellow flag, it wasn’t enough to satisfy the stewards; despite the setback, he remained focused on qualifying, which would be crucial.
“I did lift, but to their liking, not enough. To get the penalty and penalty points is pretty hardcore. But I learn from it. There’s no point whinging about it.”
Qualifying and decades-old traditions
Yet, the British driver remains composed. “It’s going to be challenging,” he acknowledged.
“Qualifying is already so close between us all… but it gives me more to fight for, and I’m very motivated to make up those places regardless.”
When questioned whether Ferrari would continue the tradition of team-assisted slipstreaming in qualifying – a common tactic at Monza given its long straights, Hamilton revealed it wasn’t a strategy that the team had discussed yet.
He believed it wasn’t the most effective way to approach racing because one driver often sacrificed their position for their teammate.
“A tow? Yeah. For pole, let’s say? No,” Hamilton said.
“I’ve never really… it can be beneficial, but in my past, it felt like there was more risk, and often one person had to be sacrificed for it.”
While the tactic may not yet be part of Ferrari’s strategy this weekend, Hamilton made it clear he’d be willing to help his teammate if needed.
“But if it meant getting Charles there, then I would be happy to play that role.”
Aiming for a strong weekend
While Zandvoort ended in a double DNF for the team, the seven-time world champion said that up until Sunday, the team was having one of its strongest weekends of the season: “Throughout the weekend, the approach we had was spot on. I felt it was one of our strongest, if not the strongest, and smoothest weekends up until Sunday.”
He remains upbeat about Ferrari’s trajectory and his own performance behind the wheel, crediting his team for their incredible support during a challenging end.
“The great thing is the team remained really positive, incredibly supportive every weekend. They lift your spirits. Then in the following days, they deep-dived into trying to understand what led to it.”
A downgraded upshift and treacherous track conditions conspired to end his charge abruptly, but he managed to find the silver linings. “If I apply that same approach this weekend and the following races, I feel positive about the direction we’re going.”
In what will be his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, Hamilton acknowledged the significance of the weekend. With the Tifosi behind him and the team still chasing their first home podium of the season, he’s drawing on the fighting spirit of his late mentor, Niki Lauda.
“It’s going to be challenging this weekend… but it gives me more to fight for,” Hamilton said. “In the spirit of Niki, you’ve got to go out there and give it hell on Sunday.”
