Lewis Hamilton has admitted there is “huge pressure” for Ferrari to succeed at this weekend’s Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, his first as a driver for the team.
The seven-time World Champion arrives in Monza looking to bounce back from crashing out of last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
It was yet another torrid moment in what has been a miserable debut campaign for the Scuderia for Hamilton, who sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with 109 points.
But this weekend will be a milestone moment in his 18-year career, as he awaits a partisan welcome from the passionate ‘tifosi’ in his first Monza race in red.
Speaking ahead of last weekend’s race, Hamilton admitted the pressure his on him more than team-mate Charles Leclerc, but hoped for a positive vibe from the fans to will him on.
“There’s obviously a huge amount of pressure on us as a team,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“More so for me now because I haven’t had a good season. Next week we’ll just try to absorb all the energy from the fans.”
Hamilton told to look forward to the ‘positive energy’ from Ferrari fans
Leclerc is no stranger to the feeling you get as a Ferrari driver at Monza, particularly having won the event twice, including last year.
He told media including Motorsport Week that Hamilton will be in for a surprise of how it is, but implored him to soak up the “positive energy” the tifosi will bring.
“I think our first experiences [at Monza as Ferrari drivers] are going to be very different because Lewis has lived so many incredible moments already,” the Monegasque said.
“I’m pretty sure that he will still be shocked by how special this week feels, but he’s gone through a lot more than what I had done back then.
“I mean, I just came from Sauber; to win in Monza with Ferrari was just unbelievable. It was all at once and it was quite crazy.
“But the Monza experience is unique for every driver – and especially the first one.
“I just told him how crazy it’s going to be and how tiring the week is. It’s a strange feeling because it’s tiring, but it’s full of positive energy from the Tuesday to the Sunday.
“So you actually don’t really feel how tired you are until you actually finish the race on Sunday. And that’s very positive.
“We’ve discussed about it a little bit and I think he’s really looking forward to it.”
Hamilton will require as much energy from the fans as possible, as he will also have to serve a five-place grid penalty for a pit lane entry infraction at Zandvoort.
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