Hamilton Determined After Competitive Italian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton’s debut as a Ferrari driver at the Italian Grand Prix recharged his ambition to secure a victory for the Scuderia at Monza. Despite the intense support from the tifosi, Hamilton faced challenges on the track, ultimately finishing seventh after starting from tenth due to a grid penalty.
Throughout the weekend, Hamilton demonstrated promising pace, qualifying fifth but dropped positions due to his penalty from Zandvoort. He quickly maneuvered through the field to sixth but struggled to overtake teammate George Russell, illustrating the complexity of overtaking in the race. “There was definitely some good overtaking, but sitting in traffic for periods of time, obviously you lose time to the cars up ahead,” Hamilton said.
In reflecting on his race performance, Hamilton expressed partial satisfaction, suggesting that a strategic undercut might have allowed him to finish higher. “I think this is as good as we could have got, possibly fifth if we had undercut Mercedes, but we just missed it,” he noted.
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the strategic challenges faced during the race. He noted, “We were able to come back at Russell at the end of the first stint,” but admitted that their attempt to extend their first tire stint ultimately did not yield the desired results. “Perhaps if I have to do it again, I would have pitted Lewis a bit earlier, but I think it was the best option to try something different.”
Despite the mixed results and strategic challenges, Hamilton’s experience at the Italian Grand Prix left him inspired. “It’s a dream to drive for this team, and I’m really just going to work as hard as I can to one day stand on the top of that podium,” he concluded, setting the stage for his ongoing commitment to Ferrari.
