Home
Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated debut for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix has already delivered a whirlwind of emotions. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion described the sensation of driving a scarlet Ferrari at Monza as “everything” he had ever imagined, despite facing a grid penalty that could complicate his weekend.
Hamilton embraces Ferrari debut with passion
Speaking to F1TV, Hamilton opened up about the surreal experience of making his first Italian GP appearance in Ferrari red.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Hamilton said. “Amazing, amazing feeling leaving the garage — just the whole experience. Being in the garage, the experience we had on Thursday with the tifosi in Milan, and then to come here and drive out of the garage in a red car… It’s all I ever thought it would be and more.”
Lewis Hamilton’s comments underline the emotional significance of his move to Ferrari, a team whose history and fan support at Monza carry unmatched weight in the sport.
Early pace shows promise
Hamilton’s debut wasn’t just about emotion — it came with pace. He topped the timing sheets in Free Practice 1 with a lap of 1:20.117, narrowly ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. In FP2, Hamilton slipped to fifth, while Leclerc retained strong pace in second.
“FP1 was a good session,” Hamilton reflected. “FP2, we made some changes and the car was a bit worse. The good thing is we can go back on it. Lots of positives to take from today, and we’ll do some work overnight. I hope that tomorrow we can be better.”
Grid penalty looms large for Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton enters the weekend carrying a five-place grid penalty, a setback stemming from the Dutch Grand Prix where stewards ruled he drove too quickly near the pits under yellow flags. While the penalty is an obvious hurdle, Hamilton remains upbeat.
“I do feel optimistic,” he admitted. “I still feel like I can potentially move forward. I was much happier with the car today, so I hope that continues tomorrow. It will continue tomorrow, because I’ll make the changes tonight and come with a fresh head tomorrow.”
Leclerc’s take on Ferrari’s performance
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, teammate Charles Leclerc assessed the car’s pace but noted areas for improvement.
“On low fuel and high fuel, it’s been quite tricky but fast,” Leclerc said. “We need to work a little bit on consistency. On the short runs, we managed to extract more or less what was in the car. However, for tomorrow, we need to get that consistency, and we are working on that.”
What lies ahead at Monza?
With McLaren and Red Bull also showing competitive pace, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari face a tight battle heading into qualifying. While Friday’s sessions offered plenty of positives, the challenge now lies in turning early speed into race-day results — despite the penalty setback.
Hamilton’s Ferrari debut has already captured imaginations, and with Monza’s passionate tifosi behind him, the weekend still holds plenty of potential drama.
ADVERTISEMENT
