Charles Leclerc has just seen what ‘proves’ his message to Lewis Hamilton about Ferrari fans at Monza

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Lewis Hamilton has won the F1 Italian Grand Prix a joint-record five times so far, yet he will now race at Monza as a Ferrari driver for the first time during the 2025 campaign.

Only Michael Schumacher has ever won the historic race as often as Hamilton has over the history of the Italian GP to date. The German topped the Monza podium in 1996, ‘98, 2000, ‘03 and ‘06, while the Briton has been victorious in 2012, ‘14, ‘15, ‘17 and most recently ‘18.

Schumacher also scored each of his Italian GP wins with Ferrari, having moved to Maranello in 1996. Hamilton made his move to Maranello this year, but his debut campaign for Ferrari has thus far marked one of the worst seasons of the 40-year-old’s Formula 1 career to date.

Hamilton heads to Monza still without a Grand Prix podium to his name through the first 14 rounds of the 2025 F1 season. Never before had he failed to secure a rostrum past the 10th race of a term. Hamilton also has just 109 points for his lowest tally with the current system.

Ferrari’s Drive to Monza event ‘proves’ Charles Leclerc’s ‘special’ Italian GP message to Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, has soaked up the adulation from Ferrari’s passionate Tifosi after winning the Italian GP for the Scuderia in 2019 and 2024. After Oscar Piastri took the lead away from Lando Norris in 2024, Leclerc’s one-stop strategy won him the Italian GP.

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So, when Hamilton moved over from Mercedes, Leclerc was quick to tell the seven-time F1 champion that while being a Ferrari driver is “unique”, it would feel “even more special” at Monza. And Leclerc believes Ferrari’s Drive to Monza event on Wednesday proved his point.

Leclerc told Sky Italia: “The heart of passion. When we held [our] media day, I said to Lewis, ‘You’ll see. Being a Ferrari driver is unique, but being one at Monza is even more special’. This event proves it.”

Fred Vasseur told Lewis Hamilton ‘you can’t understand’ the Italian GP as a Ferrari driver until you experience it

Ferrari turned Piazza Duomo red on Wednesday with a special event in Milan in the lead-up to the 2025 Italian GP, with Hamilton and Leclerc in attendance. While the Scuderia are yet to win a Grand Prix this year, Ferrari are convinced they can fight McLaren in the Italian GP.

Team principal Fred Vasseur also spoke to Hamilton this Wednesday morning to prepare the Briton for his first Italian GP as a Ferrari driver. It will be the 40-year-old’s 19th time racing at Monza in Formula 1 since 2007, after his six appearances for McLaren and 12 for Mercedes.

Vasseur told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I spoke to Lewis this morning to help him understand what it’s like to race in Italy. But until you experience it firsthand, you can’t understand it.

“I told him that a driver can race at Monza 25 times, but the first one with Ferrari is something different and unique.”

Hamilton has not stood on the podium at Monza since Leclerc won the 2019 Italian GP in his first season with Ferrari. The Briton finished third that term, with Hamilton’s then-Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas coming home just 0.835 seconds from Leclerc for second place.