Lewis Hamilton thought he was prepared to be a Ferrari driver until he had one experience

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Lewis Hamilton is ticking off another milestone as a Ferrari driver. He will make his first appearance at the Italian Grand Prix in their colours this weekend.

Hamilton’s first test at Fiorano in January attracted thousands of fans. He made his official debut at the Australian GP in March, and the Tifosi had their first glimpse at Imola in May.

While Hamilton converted pole position in the Shanghai Sprint, he still hasn’t won a Grand Prix or even stood on the podium. Ferrari’s car is much slower than expected, but Charles Leclerc has racked up five top-three finishes.

The Italian GP would be the perfect moment to end the drought. However, Hamilton carries a five-place grid penalty into the race after a yellow-flag infringement at Zandvoort.

Lewis Hamilton has been shocked by the scale of the Ferrari F1 team

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was, in terms of pure numbers, the biggest driver transfer ever. It paired the sport’s most successful driver with its most successful team.

And that’s even before one considers Hamilton’s celebrity status off the track. He’s one of the best-known athletes on the planet.

As such, ‘he was aware of the implications of his move to Ferrari’, according to The Times. But in reality, ‘it’s been even bigger than he expected’.

Hamilton has been stunned by the experience of encountering the Tifosi, who flocked to the Maranello factory this week. Around seven thousand attended an event in Milan earlier this week.

The seven-time world champion has ‘never witnessed’ this scale of support.

Lewis Hamilton is battling an issue that haunted him at Mercedes

One wonders whether this has been a help or a hindrance to Hamilton. While Ferrari’s fans offer energy, the scrutiny has also been extreme.

Toto Wolff believes Hamilton only needs a couple of good weekends to regain his confidence. The Mercedes boss is adamant that his former driver is still ‘monstrously good’.

As explained by Ted Kravitz on Thursday, Ferrari have a fundamental problem with their car that has prevented their star-studded line-up from fighting for wins. They have been forced to raise the ride height to ensure compliance with the regulations, costing them downforce.

Mercedes experienced similar issues earlier in the ground-effect era. Hamilton is determined to end Ferrari’s championship drought, but he’s seen evidence that the team must improve in every department.