“There is clearly a huge amount of pressure on us as a team, more now for me,” said Hamilton. “We have not been … I didn’t have a good season.”
Lewis Hamilton should have looked for the Italian Grand Prix -weekend as one of the highlights of his first season with Ferrari. The sevenfold world champion caused enormous excitement in Italy when he decided to make the switch from Mercedes and was welcomed as a hero for his first visits to Maranello. Yet the sprint post and the victory in China are hard to find highlights. Hamilton has shown real signs of progress in recent months, but the results have not been followed, and his comments above were a recognition of his situation after he had only crashed in Zandvoort.
But he received a memory of exactly why Monza will probably be a highlight of his season despite the struggles, when Ferrari filled the center of Milan for a fan event, creating a sea of red in the Piazza del Duomo.
“Yesterday was such a unique experience,” says Hamilton. “I think I arrived in Maranello yesterday morning and when you come in and then see the Ferrari logo, I still have to squeeze myself.
“It is really that unique. There are always people outside the factory. In one of my years I have never seen fans outside of a factory, and you see that every time. There is just such a positive energy, clearly so much love for this brand and what it means for people.
“To be in Milan, really in the heart of this all yesterday and the fans and how passionate they were … Wow. It was intense but very, very positive. I really tried to use all the good energy they gave us.”
The mentality of Hamilton is already more positive despite a five-place schedule that he received because he did not delay enough for double fight yellow flags prior to the Dutch Grand Prix. He has had the taste of how Monza will be, even before he gets the right track, and it motivates him for the race weekend.
But as incredible as it can be to be a Ferrari driver at the Italian Grand Prix, the highlights that are part of the Scuderia can also offer that the lows can be even more difficult. The passion that surrounds the team is contagious, but passion alone does not produce results, and Hamilton says that he has learned in the hard way how much his mood can fluctuate while having improvements and success.
“It has been an emotional roller coaster,” he admits. “Had I expected that it would be just as volatile in terms of feeling? No. But that’s life. Although we had a difficult Sunday, we come from the better end of the tunnel.
“I recently read something that says that there is no sense to emphasize tomorrow, because it often puts shadow on the present. So I really don’t try to worry about tomorrow. I try to be present and enjoy every moment, because this half of the season passed very quickly. It is my first half season with this team and there is clearly a long way to go.
“I don’t want to miss any of these special moments. Yesterday, for example, my first Monza in Ferrari Red. If I leave the garage tomorrow, it will be incredibly special to get to this circuit. I think about when I was a child who looked at Michael [Schumacher] Win here. Now I get that experience to be on the receiving side of the Tifosi.
“I want to give them absolutely everything this weekend to get the best results for them, because the passion and support they have given me and this team is like nothing I have ever seen.”
Although the results have not shown it, Hamilton feels that he is making progress when unlocking the potential of his Ferrari SF-25. Zak Mauger/Getty images
After Zandvoort, Hamilton and Ferrari carried out a deep dive in the reasons for his crash, but also acknowledged that the approach to the race weekend had worked much better up to that moment. It was a further hint about the progress that is made when the two parties get used to each other’s way of working, and that is progress that they will want to continue to display under the intense control of the Tifosi in Monza.
“This [season]Really live the dream, move to race with Ferrari … “He muses.” Of course I had the whole year to think about it and try to prepare, but there are still things that you could not foresee. There has been a lot of adjustment, both on my side and on the part of the team. They have really moved heaven and earth to accommodate me.
“Of course there are cultural differences. Fred [Vasseur, team principal] Made a remark that they may have underestimated me that I became a member of the team and the year we were dealing with in terms of the problems with the car. So a combination of all those things.
“But to be honest, the harder it is, the better it can make you. This year has been difficult for everyone in the team, but it is preparing for better days. We will be stronger after having experienced this difficult first six months. I am really excited and motivated for a positive tough battle from here, and I have the feeling that I have the best people around me to do that.”
A fairy -tale victory looks far away, given the results of Hamilton so far this season and given the fine he already has, even a first stage would be a piece. But Monza can simply offer a memory of how special it could be for the 40-year-old to taste success with Ferrari, which would be a timely boost after such a challenging season so far.
#Monza #debut #Ferrari #Racer #Hamilton #ready #reset #Racer