Already a five-time winner at Monza, Lewis Hamilton now dreams of winning there in red. A victory with Ferrari would have an incomparable flavor.
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Lewis Hamilton knows perfectly well the taste of victory at Monza. The Briton has won there five times during his career, equaling the record held by Michael Schumacher. But this weekend, a potential victory would have a completely different dimension: it would be his first triumph at the Italian Grand Prix with Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion does not hide the importance that this event holds. Between the thousands of Tifosi expected in the stands, the proximity to Maranello, and the expectations placed on the Scuderia, Hamilton knows the pressure will be considerable. But he believes Ferrari is capable of fighting for the win.
Hamilton believes Ferrari is capable of winning
Hamilton’s last victory at Monza dates back eight years. Since then, Ferrari has managed to triumph twice in front of its home crowd thanks to Charles Leclerc, first in 2019 and then in 2024.
This year, the Scuderia arrives with new ambitions. The SF-26 has regularly evolved in recent months and a new version of the power unit is to be introduced for the Italian event.
Hamilton believes Ferrari now has the weapons necessary to mix it up at the front.
“I sincerely believe the team has what it takes to win at this level, especially when you see how small the gaps are at the front,” he explains.
But the Briton also knows that a victory will require an almost perfect weekend.
“To win this weekend, like any other, everything has to work together as a collective. It’s not about one element: everything has to flow perfectly from the start.”
A sixth victory that would place Hamilton alone in history
Arriving at Monza, Hamilton didn’t even know he shared with Schumacher the record of five wins on the Italian circuit. A sixth victory would therefore make him the sole holder of this record.
This prospect adds yet another historical dimension to his weekend.
“Coming here, I was simply thinking about the scale of what this Grand Prix represents. I didn’t even know I was tied with Michael in number of wins,” he admits.
“But knowing that a first is potentially ahead of me, and that by winning I could enter new territory, it’s special.”
For Hamilton, however, this record would almost take a back seat to what a victory with Ferrari in front of the Tifosi would represent.
“Winning at Monza with Ferrari would be phenomenal”
The Briton already knows what a Ferrari victory at home looks like. In 2019, he himself stood on the podium when Leclerc caused an explosion of joy in the stands by winning the Italian Grand Prix.
Seven years later, Hamilton now dreams of experiencing this scene from the top step, dressed in red.
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“Winning at Monza for the first time with Ferrari would be something incredible. I saw Charles win here in 2019 when I was on the podium with him,” he recalls.
“Managing to do it now that I am here would be phenomenal.”
Hamilton also measures the symbolic significance that such a success could take in his own story.
“If I managed it, I would probably be the only black driver to have won for Ferrari in Italy, probably in the entire history. Many thoughts like that have crossed my mind.”
An incomparable pressure in front of the Tifosi
Hamilton has already experienced victory with Ferrari this season. His win in Barcelona was one of the most emotional moments of his first truly competitive campaign with the Scuderia.
But winning at Monza could surpass even that experience. The Italian Grand Prix is a special event for Ferrari, and Hamilton is already beginning to feel the expectation surrounding the team.
“The pressure is high because you want to get a result for the team,” he admits.
This pressure also comes from all those who work behind the scenes in Maranello and who will exceptionally have the opportunity to attend the race.
“There are all these people at the factory, many of whom will be able to come to this race. The Tifosi travel in huge numbers, their passion is incomparable and you also want to succeed for them.”
A very special lucky charm for Hamilton
For this special weekend, Hamilton will also be able to count on the presence of his mother. A visit that holds additional importance for the Briton as she should discover for the first time the atmosphere of Monza with her son behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
“My mother is here this weekend. I don’t think she has ever been to Monza, and certainly not for a Ferrari weekend,” Hamilton explains.
“I wanted her to be able to live this experience and to bring all the dust of luck she can bring.”
Between the possibility of becoming the sole record holder of wins at Monza, the opportunity to win for the first time in Italy with Ferrari, and the immense expectation of the Tifosi, Hamilton knows that this Grand Prix could become one of the most memorable moments of his career.
He now just has to turn this emotion into performance. Eight years after his last success at Monza, Hamilton dreams of a sixth victory that would this time have a very different color: Ferrari red.
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