Lewis Hamilton arrives at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza feeling more connected to Ferrari than ever. After already claiming a victory in red at the Barcelona Grand Prix, the British champion says he is in a much stronger position than he was a year ago, both in his relationship with the team and in the understanding he has built with Ferrari’s passionate supporters.
Ahead of Ferrari’s home Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton opened up about the work behind that progress, from significant changes to the car to his growing sense of belonging at Maranello. Speaking in an interview with Repubblica, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion also discussed Charles Leclerc, adapting to the new technical regulations, his physical condition at the age of 41 and the emotion he expects to experience in front of the Tifosi at Monza.
Asked how much his relationship with Ferrari had developed, Lewis Hamilton replied: “Very much. I’m in a better position than last year. I feel more connected to the team, the fans know me better and understand me, and I hope they can appreciate the work I’ve done over this year and a half.”
Lewis Hamilton explains the work behind Ferrari’s car transformation
For Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s objective remains uncompromising: winning. But extracting everything from a Formula 1 car requires more than simply asking the driver to push harder. The British driver stressed that operating at the limit requires the entire technical package to work together.
“We exist to win, and our goal is to push the car to the limit, but to do that you have to make sure you don’t go beyond that limit. To achieve this objective, you need many pieces of the puzzle in the right place,” Lewis Hamilton explained.
Those pieces were not all in place last season. Lewis Hamilton believes one of the most difficult aspects of joining and influencing a Formula 1 team is the time required for engineers to fully understand what a driver is asking from the car. That process cannot be completed in a few race weekends.
“It takes time for the team to understand what you want. It takes months and months and months to transform the way the car works. You need time and the right mindset as well,” Lewis Hamilton said.
The British driver had already requested changes during the previous season, but Ferrari was initially reluctant to alter too many areas at once because introducing numerous changes created uncertainty. Lewis Hamilton’s argument was that modifying just one component would not be enough. The various elements needed to evolve together.
That gradual technical transformation has now touched almost every area of his interaction with the car. Lewis Hamilton has also recently explained in greater detail the changes he has pushed for inside Ferrari as the Maranello team continues refining its 2026 package.
“Little by little, I got everything changed: brakes, set-up elements, suspension, seat position, steering configuration. Using all these components, combined with better engineering, vehicle dynamics and communication, made the difference,” Lewis Hamilton revealed.
Charles Leclerc moves in the same technical direction
One of the most significant elements of Lewis Hamilton’s explanation concerns Charles Leclerc. Rather than the two Ferrari drivers pursuing completely different development directions, Lewis Hamilton says their preferences have increasingly converged.
Asked whether Charles Leclerc had followed the same path, Lewis Hamilton confirmed: “Yes, Charles Leclerc came over to my side, which allows us to steer the boat in the same direction.”
That convergence can be particularly valuable for a team attempting to develop a car efficiently. When both drivers are asking for changes that move the package in a similar direction, Ferrari can work around a clearer technical reference instead of trying to reconcile two fundamentally different philosophies. The evolution of those areas remains central to Ferrari’s wider SF-26 technical development.
Lewis Hamilton says the Ferrari now feels like his car
Adapting to Formula 1’s new technical regulations has added another layer of difficulty. Lewis Hamilton described the process as a demanding technical challenge involving simulator work, study and a deeper understanding of the engineering behind the car.
His approach, however, is not to spend energy questioning whether he likes the regulations. Lewis Hamilton believes the driver’s responsibility is to adapt and extract the maximum from whatever machinery is available.
“Adapting has been a technical challenge: simulator, studying, going deeper into the engineering. Tough stuff. But our job is to do the best job possible with what we have. Complaining makes no sense. I don’t waste my energy saying whether I like these rules or not; I just apply myself. I like driving this car because it’s a car that feels like mine,” Lewis Hamilton said.
That final point illustrates how far his integration with Ferrari has progressed. The process has involved not only understanding a different organisation, but gradually shaping the car around the feedback and characteristics required for Lewis Hamilton to feel comfortable operating at the limit.
Lewis Hamilton on being 41 and keeping his reactions sharp
At 41, Lewis Hamilton acknowledges that physical recovery now takes longer than it once did. At the same time, however, he says he has access to far more tools to help manage his preparation and recovery. His engineers have also reassured him that one key performance measure remains particularly strong.
“The other day we were talking about reaction times: mine is still good. In fact, my engineers told me it’s faster than that of most of the younger drivers. They say you become slower at 40; I’m 41. Of course, it takes me longer to recover, but now I have many more tools that help me,” Lewis Hamilton explained.
Training and spending time with the people closest to him are important parts of that process. Lewis Hamilton also revealed that his mind remains highly active even when he sleeps, with ideas continuing to emerge during the night.
“Training helps me, and so does being with my loved ones. I’m someone who has a lot of dreams at night when I sleep; my mind keeps wandering in search of ideas for the next day. I try to cultivate a positive attitude. I’m not on social media and I don’t watch the news because it’s exhausting and draining to see the state the world is in,” Lewis Hamilton said.
Lewis Hamilton praises Kimi Antonelli and Formula 1’s young generation
Lewis Hamilton also spoke warmly about Kimi Antonelli, who now races for Mercedes. The Ferrari driver believes the 20-year-old is already performing at a remarkable level and sees considerable potential in what lies ahead.
“Kimi Antonelli is doing a phenomenal job, pushing everyone to improve. He’s only 20, so imagine what the future holds for him. It’s a privilege to be here among the young drivers; they remind me a lot of myself in Formula 1 in 2007,” Lewis Hamilton said.
For a driver with such extensive experience, sharing the grid with a new generation brings back memories of the beginning of his own Formula 1 career. Yet ahead of Monza, the focus inevitably returns to Ferrari and the unique relationship between the team and Italy.
Monza brings Lewis Hamilton closer to Ferrari and the Tifosi
Lewis Hamilton had already experienced the extraordinary atmosphere surrounding Ferrari at Monza long before he became a driver for the Scuderia. During his years racing for Mercedes, he saw first-hand how strongly Italian supporters identify with the Prancing Horse.
Now he arrives wearing Ferrari red himself, with the connection between the two drivers and the Tifosi already visible during Ferrari’s build-up to the Italian Grand Prix.
“But Ferrari is Italy. Every time I raced at Monza with Mercedes, I always came up against and felt the love and passion that Italy has for the Prancing Horse. Ferrari is bigger than everything and everyone. I can already see a Monza full of red shirts,” Lewis Hamilton concluded.
That sense of belonging adds another dimension to a weekend already carrying enormous sporting and emotional significance. As the 2026 Formula 1 season reaches Ferrari’s home race, Lewis Hamilton arrives not simply as a driver wearing red, but as someone who believes the car increasingly reflects his input, the team understands his needs more clearly and the relationship with Ferrari’s supporters has grown significantly stronger.
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