Lewis Hamilton: Monza Penalty “Gives Me More to Fight For” at First Ferrari Home Race

Lewis Hamilton says his five-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix will only add to his motivation as he prepares for his first Monza weekend as a Ferrari driver.

The seven-time world champion was sanctioned for not slowing sufficiently under double yellow flags on the reconnaissance laps before last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. The decision was confirmed after the race, in which both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc crashed out.

“I was shocked to find out I had the penalty,” Hamilton admitted. “I did lift, but to their liking not enough. To get the penalty and licence points was pretty hardcore. It’s going to be challenging this weekend. Qualifying is already so close between us all, just getting into Q3 is tough, getting into the top five is very tough. And then on top of that, to be set back five places is not great when you’re going into your first Monza GP with Ferrari. But it gives me more to fight for, and I’m very motivated to make up those places regardless.”

Hamilton arrived in Italy early, appearing at a fan event in Milan attended by 7,000 people before visiting Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters. “I still have to pinch myself that I’m a Ferrari driver,” he said. “There is so much love for this brand. To be in Milan in the heart of it all and to see how passionate they all were, it was intense, and I really tried to harness all the positive energy they gave us.”

The Briton’s start to life at Ferrari has been turbulent. Despite a sprint race victory in China, he has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix and sits sixth in the drivers’ standings on 109 points—200 behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Even so, Hamilton believes progress is being made. “This one is really living the dream, moving to race with Ferrari,” he said. “I had the whole of last year to think about it and try to prepare but there are still things you couldn’t foresee. There has been a lot of adjustment from my side and the team side to accommodate me. They’ve really moved heaven and earth. Obviously, there are cultural differences.

“Fred [Vasseur] made a comment that perhaps they underestimated me joining the team and the year we’ve been faced with in terms of the problems with the car. But the harder it is, the better it can make you. It really prepares us for better days and we will be stronger having gone through this tough first six months.”

Hamilton will now aim to harness the passion of the Tifosi at Monza as he looks to overcome his penalty and deliver a strong result on Ferrari’s biggest stage.

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