What Lewis Hamilton is now feeling ‘in his mind’ about Ferrari after strong Monza display

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Lewis Hamilton produced a strong comeback drive at the Italian Grand Prix to finish sixth in front of the Tifosi.

The seven-time champion came into his first race at Monza as a Ferrari driver off the back of his first retirement with the team at Zandvoort. The Maranello outfit suffered a double DNF as Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both crashed out at turn three.

Ferrari were keen to bounce back on home soil, but Hamilton had to serve a five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement at Zandvoort. Nevertheless, confidence was high in Maranello as ‘everyone’ at Ferrari believed they could challenge McLaren at Monza.

That looked to be the case during Friday’s practice as Hamilton set the pace in FP1. However, they could not translate that to performance on Saturday as the Brit put his SF-25 in fifth in qualifying, with Leclerc coming in fourth.

Hamilton apologised to Ferrari over the radio for his lack of pace as he was demoted to P10 with his penalty. Despite his disappointment in qualifying, he put that behind him on Sunday as he climbed his way through the field to finish P6.

Fred Vasseur says Lewis Hamilton feels it’s a new start to the season ‘in his mind’ after Monza

Hamilton left the Italian Grand Prix feeling much more positive about Ferrari. It has been a tough start to life in Maranello for the 40-year-old as the team struggled with performance and operational errors.

Ferrari could not find the right balance with the SF-25, particularly with ride height, as the car needs to run as close to the ground as possible to reach optimal performance. Hamilton sent documents to Ferrari before the summer break, expressing his frustration and the need for changes.

The Brit needed a reset over the summer to come back firing in the second half of the season, but his Zandvoort crash was the last thing he needed before Ferrari’s home race. However, Hamilton reminded Karun Chandhok of Nigel Mansell with how he dealt with the pressure at Monza.

He may not have climbed as high up the order as he would have liked, but Hamilton took a lot of encouragement from the Italian GP. According to team boss Fred Vasseur, he sees it as the new start of the season ‘in his mind’.

Vasseur said via F1 TV’s Post-Race Show: “Honestly, I think he did a very strong weekend. He was there from FP1, he was P5 in quali and with the penalty, [he] had to fight the first 10 laps to come back P6 behind George.

“And then he was matching George and it’s a good recovery. Not an easy weekend for him with the penalty, but OK, now it’s a new start of the season I think in his mind. Let’s fight.”

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Lewis Hamilton’s final radio message at Monza will delight Ferrari fans

The Tifosi may not have got to see one of their drivers on the podium at Monza, but they have every reason to be impressed by Hamilton and Leclerc’s performance. The pair’s results have put Ferrari 20 points clear of Mercedes in the standings.

Hamilton thanked the Tifosi in Italian during his final radio message at the Italian GP. Ferrari fans will love his exchange as he paid tribute to their incredible support, as well as thanking the team for their efforts with the pit stops.

The Tifosi produced a louder roar for Hamilton than Leclerc at Monza. It highlights that the Ferrari faithful are not giving up on their star driver despite a disappointing campaign, which has seen Hamilton call for Ferrari to replace him.

Hamilton sent out a rallying cry to Ferrari fans before the Italian GP, telling them that they needed their support at Monza. The Tifosi delivered in their numbers, and the Brit will be hoping to see it continue in the final eight races.