Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that a victory at the Monza Grand Prix with the Scuderia would be 'phenomenal,' as Ferrari hopes to gain support from local fans and capitalize on recent upgrades made to the SF-26 car before the Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton previously won the Monza Grand Prix five times, including four wins with Mercedes and one with McLaren, but he has not yet achieved a triumph with Ferrari at the home race, finishing sixth in his first season with the Maranello team in 2025.
On Thursday, Hamilton told the media: 'There is a first race in front of me, in the sense that if I win, I will enter a new area by winning with Ferrari in Monza for the first time. It will be phenomenal.' He also noted that 'the pressure is high. You want to do it for the team. Many of them will come to this race.'
The fans, known as the Tifosi, gather in huge groups with incomparable passion. The seven-time world champion will be able to see his mother in the stands, who will cheer for Hamilton and Ferrari along with the Tifosi.
Hamilton added: 'And my mom is here. I don't think she has been to Monza, and certainly not (when I was) with Ferrari. I wanted her to experience it and bring any good luck dust she can bring.'
The driver also commented on the engine update implemented by Ferrari for the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, noting that these improvements will help but are not everything needed to strengthen the fight for the title. He said: 'Every little thing helps. Up until this point of the year, even at the last race, we were losing 0.4 seconds per lap (on straights). We carried this deficit.'
Hamilton concluded: 'It is a step forward. It is not all we need, but we knew it was. I firmly believe that we have everything necessary to win. To win this weekend, the entire team must come together. Everything must go smoothly from the start.'