Lewis Hamilton is embracing the “good energy” from Ferrari’s passionate fans as he aims to give them something to cheer about at the Italian Grand Prix – despite heading into it with a grid penalty.
Hamilton has experienced a mixed first season at the Scuderia, with plenty to get used to on and off the track, but the seven-time World Champion starts his Monza weekend in high spirits after some special pre-race activities.
Indeed, Hamilton and team mate Charles Leclerc were greeted by a huge crowd of Tifosi at a Ferrari gathering in Milan on Wednesday, underlining the incredible support both drivers and the team will have behind them this weekend.
“It was such a unique experience,” said Hamilton during Thursday’s driver press conference. “Already from yesterday morning, getting to [the Ferrari factory in] Maranello, when you walk in and see the Ferrari logo… I still have to pinch myself.
“There are people outside the factory always. I’ve never seen fans outside the factory before, in any of my years. You see that every single time [here]. There’s clearly just so much love for this brand, and what it means to people.
“To be in Milan, really in the heart of it all, seeing the fans and just how passionate they were, it was intense, but very, very positive. I really tried to harness all of that good energy that they gave us.”
As for what Ferrari might be able to achieve at Monza, Hamilton expressed cautious optimism following the “loads of positives” he felt at the Dutch Grand Prix last time out.
“Every weekend is the first time driving this car at a track, and the approach is different from my previous experiences,” he reiterated. “When you go to these places the set-up’s different, so it’s always new, which I’m enjoying at the moment.
“I think Ferrari have generally gone pretty well [here] in the past years. Obviously they won here last year, with a great strategy and great drive from Charles.
“I’m just really keen to see how the car works here. We’re definitely learning from weekend to weekend, [with] loads of positives to take from the last, so we just have to keep building on that.”
Pushed on whether he has wondered what it would be like to stand on the Monza podium as a Ferrari driver, Hamilton added: “Honestly, I haven’t, simply because I’ve been on that podium plenty of times here.
“I know what it’s like to be up there, I’ve seen how it’s been for other Ferrari drivers, and anything I try to imagine it’ll be far from it, of what that feeling could be.”
Nonetheless, Hamilton is aware of the task ahead given that he will take a five-place grid penalty on Sunday, having been penalised for a yellow flag breach on the reconnaissance laps before the Zandvoort race.
“It’s going to be challenging this weekend,” he commented. “Qualifying is already… it’s already so close between us all, so just getting into Q3 is tough, getting into the top five is very, very tough.
“Then, on top of that, to be set back five places is not great when you’re going into your first Monza [race] with Ferrari, but it gives me more to fight for and I’m very motivated to make up those places.”