At Imola, Lewis Hamilton rediscovered top form with Ferrari, unlocking performance and synergy unseen since his Sprint win in China.
Despite being eliminated in Q2, Lewis Hamilton remains upbeat after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver noted that the car performed well and, more importantly, he felt comfortable behind the wheel.
It was the first time he had experienced such a feeling since his Sprint win at the Chinese GP.
“There are tons of positives,” Hamilton said. “The strategy was fantastic, they made the right calls and didn’t put a foot wrong, and the car felt like it did in China when I was really in sync with it.”
“And the only other time I’ve had that feeling was [here], where I truly felt that synergy. The setup was excellent, we made progress during the race and unlocked our potential. If we had qualified better, we could have fought for a podium, which I didn’t think was possible.”
“The start of the race wasn’t spectacular, but we got away well, then it got tight, and we lost ground to Kimi’s Mercedes. I was sitting there waiting, and I had to be patient, but the strategy started to work and the car came alive on the medium tyres.”
“I’ve always enjoyed fighting from the back and working my way forward, that’s how I started out as a kid at Rye House. It’s a better feeling than starting and finishing first, but it was truly a mega race and there are so many positives to take from it.”
The seven-time world champion is convinced Ferrari can do even better than at Imola: “Yes, definitely, I thought we were going to make a step this weekend with something I corrected. And I believe there’s more to come.”
“The setup and the car really came together for the first time. We’ve had a lot of pressure on us after struggling all year with the car so far, especially in qualifying.”
“I don’t remember the last time I had a race like that. I’m sure there was one last year, but it was different because now I’m in the red car. Finally having that connection, that synergy with the car, was a really amazing feeling.”
“An incredible experience” in Italy with Ferrari
Hamilton described what it felt like to race in Italy in Ferrari colours: “It really reminded me of my childhood, sitting at home on the sofa with a bacon sandwich, watching Michael Schumacher race for Ferrari and seeing the bond they had.”
“It’s an incredible experience to think that I’m now here in one of the two Ferraris and to have that connection with them. It means so much to me, it’s amazing. We just need to unlock our potential in qualifying. If we had qualified better, we could have been in the fight for a podium, which we didn’t think was possible.”
Now, the next challenge for Ferrari and the Formula 1 drivers is the Monaco Grand Prix next weekend. Ferrari shone there last year with a win and a double podium, but the Briton fears it may not be as positive this time.
“It’ll still be about getting the tyres to work over a single lap. If we can do that next week, I think we can be in a good position. Our car is generally strong at high speed, decent in medium, and maybe a bit weaker than others in low-speed.”
“Obviously, the next race is all about low speed, so we need to see how we can try to improve our performance. Every race I do is my first with this car, so I honestly have no idea what a Ferrari feels like around Monaco.”
“The races ahead, especially Monaco, a track where I’ve usually been strong in the past, I hope we can take some lessons from this weekend. But like I said, it’ll still be all about getting the most out of the tyres over one quick lap.”
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