Lewis Hamilton ready for his first Monza in red
Lewis Hamilton’s first Monza GP as a Ferrari driver is fast approaching, in fact it has already effectively begun. The British seven-time world champion commented on the love shown by Ferrari fans in the lead-up to the Italian Grand Prix. He also briefly discussed his performance expectations for the weekend, considering Ferrari’s recent results at Monza.
First Monza with Ferrari: “Positive energy from the fans to store”
Lewis Hamilton’s Italian week began on Wednesday with the Ferrari event in Milan: “Yesterday was a truly unique experience, as it was yesterday morning in Maranello, entering and seeing the Ferrari logo… I still have to pinch myself. There are people outside the factory all the time. I’ve never seen fans outside the factory in all these years of Formula 1, yet here they are every time.”
“There is so much love for this brand, for what it means to the people. Being in Milan, in the heart of the city, and seeing the passion from the fans was incredibly intense. Such positive energy that I tried to store,” Lewis Hamilton added.
On the possibility of a first podium with Ferrari
Regarding a potential first podium in red at Monza, Lewis Hamilton said: “I’ve never thought about it. I’ve already been on the Monza podium many times. I know what it means because I’ve experienced it with other Ferrari drivers. I’ve seen what it meant to them. Whatever I could imagine would be far from the feeling I would experience.”
“Every time you come here, no matter which team, it’s an incredible experience. Being in this park and this historic circuit, and seeing basically all the fans along the straight… when you drive, the fans are so close it feels like they’re in the car with you,” Lewis Hamilton concluded, describing Monza’s unique atmosphere.
Caution on performance: “Every weekend is new”
Looking ahead to track action, Lewis Hamilton stated: “I don’t know how it will go. Every weekend is new for me with this car. The approach is different from my previous experiences on these tracks; the setup is different, so there’s always something new. I enjoy that aspect right now.” – the British driver pointed out on Thursday
“I believe Ferrari has generally always performed very well here. Last year, they won with a great strategy and an excellent race by Charles Leclerc. I’m really curious to see how the car will perform here. We are learning weekend by weekend; certainly, there are many positive aspects to carry forward from the last race. We must continue building on these foundations.”
Grid penalty reminder
It is important to remember that Lewis Hamilton arrives at Monza aware that he will serve a five-place grid penalty for failing to respect yellow flags during the laps that took him to the grid at Zandvoort.
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