What Lewis Hamilton once said about Ferrari fans giving him ‘the biggest boos’ in history

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If Lewis Hamilton could pick one venue to win as a Ferrari driver next year, it would probably be Silverstone. He’s already stood on the top step nine times – a record for a single circuit – but doing so in scarlet red would be uniquely special.

Second on the list, however, would surely be Monza. It’s an essential target for any Ferrari driver.

Last season, Charles Leclerc took his second victory at the venue, five years after his first. The scenes of celebration – with the adoring Tifosi – can’t be replicated anywhere else.

Hamilton hasn’t won the Italian Grand Prix since 2018, a surprising drought given his previous dominance. He also had to wait until 2012 for his first victory in the country.

The Tifosi will also flock to the Emilia Romagna GP, which is scheduled for the middle of May. However, Imola is set to drop off the calendar after 2025.

Lewis Hamilton once called the Italian Grand Prix podium ‘the worst’

In 2019, Hamilton was cruising to a sixth world championship. He entered the Italian GP shortly after the summer break with a 65-point lead over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

New Ferrari driver Leclerc wasn’t a factor in the title race, but he was able to score back-to-back wins at Spa and Monza, his first victories in F1. After finishing third in Italy, Hamilton was asked whether he’d enjoyed the podium scenes as Ferrari celebrated a first home win since 2010.

But his response highlighted his cold relationship with the Tifosi. He felt they subjected him to harsher treatment than any other driver.

“It’s nothing to do with being beaten,” he told Viaplay in the media pen. “It’s the worst podium for me, obviously. I get the biggest boos of any single driver that’s ever participated in history here. So it’s not a particularly enjoyable one.”

Hamilton’s wins in 2017 and 2018 drew a hostile response from the crowd. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel had faced a similar reception during the 2013 season, the last in a run of four straight championships.

Why the police could have trouble at Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari test

Hamilton has dreamed of joining Ferrari for 20 years, but his eventual move still came as a major surprise. Many of the fans who booed him on previous visits to Monza will frantically be cheering him on this year.

Given that Vettel was booed too, it seems unlikely that the jeers aimed at Hamilton were personal. But he did start his F1 career in intense battles with Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, building up a lasting rivalry.

On that basis, it could take time for the Briton to form a bond with the Ferrari faithful. But one journalist says ‘Hamilton mania’ is already sweeping Italy.

Indeed, he thinks Hamilton’s first Ferrari test will require plenty of police, with supporters set to line the streets of Fiorano. He’s expected to take to the track within the next fortnight.