Lewis Hamilton agrees with Michael Schumacher about Ferrari before his first Italian Grand Prix in red

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Lewis Hamilton will race at the Italian Grand Prix for the first time as a Ferrari driver this weekend. This is a moment the world of F1 has been waiting for ever since the move was announced.

Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari arguably generated more hype than any driver transfer in F1 history. But very few expected the seven-time world champion to struggle so much.

Ahead of round 15 out of 24, Hamilton still hasn’t scored a podium in a Grand Prix. And his chances of doing so this weekend have taken an enormous hit after receiving a five-place grid penalty.

Hamilton was found to have ignored yellow flags at the previous race in Zandvoort, and his race-ending accident has delayed the penalty. Ferrari are confident about their Monza chances, but they may be reliant upon Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton echoes Michael Schumacher with comments about the Tifosi

Just under 20 years ago, Michael Schumacher won his first Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari. It was just his third victory in red after earlier triumphs in Spain and Belgium.

Schumacher qualified third, more than half a second off pole-sitter Damon Hill, but won the race in dominant fashion after Hill and Jacques Villeneuve crashed. It was a fairytale result for the Tifosi, who later watched the German driver win five straight championships.

“I have never seen such emotion,” Schumacher said in the post-race press conference that day. “It’s crazy. It is only possible in Italy. It’s fantastic. You get goose bumps everywhere. They have waited a long time for this and they deserve it.”

As he prepares for his first experience of Monza as a Ferrari driver, Hamilton appeared at a fan event in Milan on Wednesday. The 40-year-old has won five times at the circuit for McLaren and Mercedes.

But like Schumacher, Hamilton knows that ‘there’s nothing’ in F1 that can match a Ferrari driver winning at home. He was in awe of the scenes after Leclerc’s victory in 2024.

“Winning with another team is an amazing experience, but there’s nothing [like this],” he told Sky Italy. “You still see the sea of red, you still see the Tifosi, but I think when you’re on the receiving end like Charles and previous drivers of Ferrari have been, it’s got to be something so, so special.”

Why Lewis Hamilton once called the Italian Grand Prix podium the first in F1

Schumacher is tied with Hamilton on five Monza wins, with his 2000 triumph the most memorable.

After equalling Ayrton Senna’s record of 41 victories, Schumacher broke down in tears. Like Hamilton, he looked up to the Brazilian legend.

Hamilton has spent most of his career as a sporting villain for the Tifosi, having prevailed in title races with Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel. He’s even been jeered at the Italian GP.

After receiving what he called the ‘biggest boos’ in the race’s history, Hamilton said the Monza podium was ‘the worst’ in F1 from his perspective. One would imagine he’ll completely change his mind if he finds a way onto the rostrum this weekend.