The experience gained by Lewis Hamilton over nineteen Formula 1 seasons also comes through when he’s in front of a microphone. So far, this hasn’t been the best start to a season for him, but Lewis knows how to shift focus elsewhere, starting with the emotions he feels ahead of his first Grand Prix in Italy in red. What kind of Imola weekend will it be for the seven-time world champion? “I don’t feel any pressure. I arrived in Italy on Tuesday morning and the weather has been beautiful, it really reminded me of when I was a young karting driver coming to Italy to race and live some of the most memorable days of my life.”
“I clearly remember the Parma circuit, and I remember how much it hurt to learn, years later, that it was being destroyed. I remember Lonato, Jesolo, Sarno—so many kart tracks where I spent a wonderful time. It’s a great joy to be working here. So far, I haven’t had much time to visit other places in Italy. I’ve never been to Florence, and I’d like to properly see Rome—hopefully in the future.”
After this long aside, Lewis Hamilton returned to the race weekend. “Of course, I’ve already raced here in Imola many times, but it’s completely different when you’re part of this team. The affection and support you receive are on another level. I see the passion, the hope that we’ll do well—but I think it’s important to ask for patience, even though I myself am not the most patient person. It’ll take some time to get where we want to be, and we need to be patient.”
Maybe it’s the atmosphere at Imola, or perhaps his personal improvements in Miami, but Lewis appeared more cheerful compared to recent media sessions. Legs crossed, relaxed posture, and several hints of a smile. “There’s still a lot of potential to unlock in the car,” he confirmed, in line with Fred Vasseur’s view. “There’s still a lot of work to do. I hope this weekend we can start moving in the right direction. There are many problems, but one in particular—the most significant—is the one we’re all focused on.”
When asked whether the key issue he referred to was the rear suspension (hence the rumors of a “version 2.0” of the current system), Lewis Hamilton shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Between now and Spain, we’ll keep working to unlock some of the performance we haven’t been able to access yet. We’re just following our plan, and that’s what the work starting tomorrow will be based on. In two races, there will also be the new rule on front wings. I’ll test the car in the simulator before heading to Spain, and I’ll have a better picture to understand if anything will change.” – the former Mercedes man pointed out.
“Unlocking the potential” is a popular phrase in Formula 1 and probably captures the idea, but it makes it hard to understand how much a car can improve without upgrades—just through setup work. Can Ferrari really challenge McLaren just by refining its setup? “I think it’s very, very difficult to assume we can catch up to McLaren,” Lewis Hamilton admitted, “however, we did beat them in one race. We have to say that this year they have an edge over everyone else, but will that be the case at every single track? I can’t say. As for our car, I think it has the performance to get close to or match Mercedes and Red Bull. Right now, the operating window of the car is very, very narrow, which is nearly impossible to manage—and that’s what we need to fix.”
Lewis brushed off discussions about the heated radio messages from the Miami Grand Prix. “We talked the other day in Maranello. I spent time with the team. I sat with the engineers, I sat with the team leaders. But no, I didn’t have tea…”
He then reflected on his start to the season: “I didn’t expect an easier start to the championship—not at all. I expected it to be very tough because I had already joined a new team in the past, and it was very, very challenging. I came in with a very open mind. I couldn’t know exactly how difficult it would be—it’s the maximum level of challenge across the board.”
“But I think we’re working well together,” Lewis concluded. “There’s still a lot to do before we can aim for success. The championship? There’s still a long road ahead. With all my years of experience, I can say that if you’re more than a hundred points behind after the first quarter of the season and you’re fighting against a rather dominant car, you have to accept that you’re probably not in the title fight. But things could change—who knows.”
