Lewis Hamilton came from 10th on the grid to finish in 6th at his first F1 Italian GP as a Ferrari driver.
The Brit started in 10th place due to a 5-place grid penalty that was carried over from the Dutch GP. This was awarded due to him failing slow during a yellow flag. He worked his way through the field to the delight of the Tifosi to finish P6. This is his highest finish since the British GP.
A strong start
Lewis Hamilton had a brilliant start to the F1 Italian GP, quickly making up four places. He worked his way past Bortoleto, Alonso, Tsunoda and Antonelli to sit P6. Making quick work of the overtaking he needed to get done, it made for a much easier race.
Speaking after the race, he shared how surprised he was to have gotten away so well.
“Yeah, I had a really good start, and I actually looked just after the start because it was such a good start. And then I kind of got squeezed in between two cars.
“Other than that, I positioned the car really nicely. I think I am on my way forward, and I think I could have got a fifth today.”
Whilst most of his overtaking was done at the start, Hamilton then spent the later stages of the race chasing down his old teammate George Russell. But despite his best efforts, he was unsuccessful, and Russell was able to hold onto fifth place.
The seven-time World Champion was left to wonder if an undercut would have paid off. Instead he ran long after the Mercedes man boxed.
“I think I was 1.5 seconds ahead of George, which we could have tried to undercut. But when we missed that opportunity, then we came out miles behind.”
Increasing confidence in the SF-25
Hamilton’s debut season in red has not been the success he was hoping for. He has struggled to get to grips with the car and the new driving style that it demands of him. As a result, his performance has been subpar, and he has yet to secure a podium.
However, could this weekend be a sign that things are improving? Hamilton appeared to be a lot more confident behind the wheel at Monza.
“I think I’ve built a lot on my confidence with the car, but definitely still not 100% comfortable with the car.
“Ultimately, that’s kind of driving an alien driving style with a car that I’m not 100% comfortable with. But I think overall our performance was fairly good.”
The support of the Tifosi
Ferrari has some of the most dedicated fans in Formula 1. This becomes apparent during the Italian GP, where they show up in their masses to cheer on the drivers in red around Monza. For Lewis Hamilton, this was his second time experiencing such support, having visited Italy earlier in the year for the Emilia-Romagna GP.
After the race was finished, Hamilton and Leclerc drove in formation around the track to show their appreciation to the fans in the grandstands.
“I used to do that when I was at Mercedes, and so I thought that it would be really special to do, so I caught up alongside Charles.
“Our goal is to show solidarity, to show our gratitude to the Tifosi because they really show up in full force this weekend. They’re here so early and leave so late every day.
“The support from them is absolutely phenomenal and something I will never forget.”
