Lewis Hamilton has described his debut with Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix as a dream come true, despite acknowledging the challenges of adapting to a new team and car. The seven-time world champion was greeted by thousands of tifosi in Milan’s Piazzetta Reale on Wednesday, where fans had gathered since early morning to welcome him ahead of the race at Monza.
The reception, which began 15 minutes before Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc appeared, was so loud that it drowned out interview attempts, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The drivers took more than five minutes to walk 30 metres to the Royal Palace entrance as they stopped to sign autographs, before climbing onto a balcony to greet the crowd.
Hamilton admitted that the move to Ferrari has been an “emotional rollercoaster”, with both sides having to adjust. “There’s been a lot of adjustment both from my side and the team,” he said. “They’ve really moved heaven and earth to accommodate me. Obviously, there are cultural differences.” Team principal Fred Vasseur noted that the team may have underestimated the challenges of Hamilton joining amid the car’s problems this season.
Ferrari are not expected to repeat last year’s unlikely victory at Monza, where Leclerc won with a one-stop strategy despite being nearly a second off pole pace in Zandvoort. This year, the team have struggled for pace, and Hamilton will take a five-place grid penalty for an infringement at the previous race. However, the drivers topped first practice on low fuel, offering a glimmer of hope to the tifosi.
The weekend also carries special significance as Ferrari pay tribute to Niki Lauda, who won the 1975 championship for the team at Monza. Hamilton and Leclerc wore blue shirts in honour of Lauda, and the cars will run in a 1975-themed livery reminiscent of Lauda’s 312T. Hamilton, who worked closely with Lauda at Mercedes before his death in 2019, said: “I know right now what he would be saying to me nowadays and it’s always in the back of my mind. When I didn’t do well he would always say ‘give them arseholes’.”
