Lewis Hamilton heads into the 2026 Italian Grand Prix believing Ferrari is moving in the right direction after revealing that he pushed the team to make changes during his time at Maranello. Ahead of his second Monza weekend as a Ferrari driver, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion also expressed hope that the Scuderia’s new power unit can help reduce a straight-line deficit he says has cost around four tenths throughout the season.
The British driver has arrived at Ferrari’s home race determined to make the occasion memorable both on and off the track. Hamilton made a spectacular entrance at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza behind the wheel of a Ferrari F40 that had been found in a garage and restored just in time for Thursday at the Italian Grand Prix. His restored Ferrari F40 arrival at Monza immediately attracted attention, but the Tifosi will now be hoping the excitement continues once the competitive action begins.
Lewis Hamilton hopes Ferrari’s new Monza engine can reduce the gap
Attention is firmly focused on performance, with Ferrari preparing an important power-unit step for one of the most demanding circuits of the season. The team is set to introduce its latest specification at Monza through the second ADUO token, part of Ferrari’s wider effort to recover performance against its Formula 1 rivals.
“Hopefully the new engine helps. Every little thing can help. We’ve carried a four-tenths deficit on the straights throughout the season,” Hamilton said when discussing the new Ferrari power unit arriving at Monza.
The seven-time world champion believes the work taking place at Maranello reflects a significant shift inside Ferrari, and he suggested that some of those changes came after a lengthy process of convincing the team that a different approach was required.
Hamilton says he convinced Ferrari that changes were needed
“I’m really very proud when I see how hard everyone is working at the factory. I see a different level of focus this year compared to last year. And I really see a new beginning, both because in 2025 we didn’t have a clear objective like we do in 2026 and because it took time for me to convince Ferrari that something needed to change when the team didn’t think it needed changing.
“We’ve done a fantastic job, with extraordinary results. We still haven’t closed the entire gap, but every weekend something new arrives, and that shows how hard we’re pushing. I’m still fully convinced that we have everything it takes to win.”
Hamilton’s comments underline the confidence he retains in Ferrari’s project despite acknowledging that the performance deficit has not yet been completely eliminated. Development has continued throughout the season, and Monza now provides another opportunity to evaluate how much progress the team has made in one of Formula 1’s most power-sensitive environments.
Hamilton embraces Ferrari emotion at his second Italian Grand Prix
Beyond the technical challenge, Monza remains one of the most emotionally significant weekends on the calendar for a Ferrari driver. Hamilton described representing the Scuderia in front of its home supporters as an experience unlike any other.
“Being a Ferrari driver is the best feeling. It’s an honour and a privilege to come to Italy for this iconic race, with the most iconic and best team in the world. It’s really phenomenal to experience it for the second year in a row,” the number 44 continued during the press conference.
Hamilton also discussed Ferrari’s Monza livery and the seven stars included in its design, a detail with particular significance for the seven-time world champion.
“I haven’t seen the livery yet, but we have those seven stars and it’s a nice feeling because I have seven stars too! I feel them too, in some way. It was beautiful to see him in the red car; I always chose him when I played on the computer. I had the privilege of racing against him and now I have the privilege of being able to live that experience at Ferrari. He was a great leader and did a fantastic job throughout his career.”
Lewis Hamilton has chance to reduce Kimi Antonelli points gap at Monza
There is also an important championship opportunity for Lewis Hamilton this weekend. The Ferrari driver arrives at Monza 59 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship, but the Italian is set to start from the back of the grid following an engine change.
That gives Hamilton an opportunity to recover part of the deficit at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix, while the Scuderia will be hoping its latest power-unit development can provide another step towards the level required to fight consistently at the front.
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