Lewis Hamilton finished sixth at the Italian Grand Prix after starting 10th due to a grid penalty; the seven-time world champion qualified a tenth of a second behind teammate Charles Leclerc; Leclerc reveals where Ferrari can fight for victory before the end of the season.
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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc react to Ferrari's home race at Monza
Fred Vasseur is optimistic that Lewis Hamilton will have a strong end to the season, saying the seven-time champion is “back on track” after a setback in July.
Hamilton finished sixth in his first Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari, making up four places after starting tenth due to a five-place grid penalty for breaking the rules at the Dutch Grand Prix.
His teammate Charles Leclerc started and finished fourth, behind race winner Max Verstappen and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
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A noticeably downturned Hamilton called himself “useless” in July, but returned from Formula One’s summer break in a more positive mood. Although he retired in the wet conditions at the Dutch Grand Prix, the 40-year-old was on par with Leclerc in qualifying at Zandvoort and Monza, and led first practice at the Italian Grand Prix.
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Italian Grand Prix Highlights from Monza
Vasseur hopes the support Hamilton received from the tifosi this weekend will spur him on for the rest of the season.
He told Sky Sports F1: “He's back. He was mid-pack after the penalty but had a good first stint.”
“We tried to get a tyre advantage at the end [against George Russell] but the wear was too low.
“It was a very good race and I'm very happy for him because he had a difficult time in July, but now he's back. He's fit again.”
“He had a good weekend, a good mood, a good approach and I think that will help [for the rest of the season].”
Speaking about Hamilton's improved mood, he told the media: “I think it started in Zandvoort last week, to be honest. It's hard to say because the weekend wasn't a positive one for him, but ultimately the pace was better from the start compared to Charles and the mood was better.”
During the race he was fighting with Russell until lap 30. That means he was back in a better position. And I think the energy he got from the tifosi on Wednesday and Thursday in Milan was something special for him. I don’t know if it was expected of him or I don’t know what he expected, but it was something great.
“And I think that gave him an extra boost throughout the weekend. Of course we had to serve the penalty and we knew from the start of the weekend that with plus five penalties it was a tough task, but he came back behind Russell and the pace was there from the first lap of the first practice to the last lap of the race.”
Pictured: Hamilton gives a thumbs up to the crowd at the drivers' parade at the Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton: I felt like I was on the roof of a car
After 12 years at Mercedes, Hamilton struggled to get used to the Ferrari's quirks but was positive about how well he controlled the SF-25 at Monza.
“I definitely felt on top of my game today and was really happy with the car,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.
“A very good start. I was caught between two cars and had to slow down, but I was very happy with my position in turns one and four.
I was very close to George after that, and in hindsight, we should have tried to get around him. The long position just didn't work out. We'll learn from that.
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Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz analyses Ferrari's 2025 Formula 1 season setbacks.
“Other than that, after the penalty for coming back to sixth place, I'm very grateful. The fact that I was able to drive so confidently in front of the Tifosi today is just incredible, to be here under such a flag.”
Hamilton's former team-mate Nico Rosberg was pleased to hear more positivity from the seven-time champion this weekend.
“It's very encouraging,” said Rosberg, Sky Sports' Formula One pundit. “Lewis had a good weekend. He's behind Charles but he had a good weekend too and I like his positive attitude.”
“It's a good change and if he can continue like this Baku will be a strong track for him and I hope he can overcome this difficult period and now be able to have some great races.”
Despite a more positive weekend, Hamilton is unsure when he will get his first podium finish at the wheel of a Ferrari.
Asked if he has the car to fight for podiums in the coming races, Hamilton said: “I don't think so. Charles gave it his all today. Max is in first place now. We don't have the speed of Red Bull – they were quick today – and we don't have the speed of McLaren.”
“So I think we're fourth or fifth right now. If we do an exceptional job, maybe we can get a podium somewhere. There's a chance, but in terms of pure pace, we don't have it.”
Leclerc: No regrets about Monza performance | Where can Ferrari fight for victory?
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Watch the dramatic first lap at the Italian Grand Prix
Leclerc won at Monza in 2024 after starting from fourth place and using an alternative strategy, but the success was not repeated in 2025.
The Monegasque driver found himself in a very tough battle with Piastri in the early stages of the race, with the two drivers swapping positions several times during a frantic start before they eventually had to settle for a place outside the podium.
After the race, Leclerc said he had no regrets about how he approached the early stages of racing and outlined where Ferrari could have a better chance of winning in the final stages of the season.
“We had an interesting battle with Oscar at the start. I felt like I was overtaking him when he made a mistake and he was overtaking me when I made a mistake,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1.
“They just had more speed than me. I was trying to do things that the car didn't have and so I lost control of the rear wheels a few times, which meant I couldn't hope for much more, unfortunately.”
“I tried my best and I don't regret anything. Unfortunately, the pace in the car was a little worse than we expected.
“Singapore, maybe Baku and Las Vegas are tracks where we are a little bit closer to winning. But we are not going there as favourites. I think we are third favourites – maybe second if Red Bull struggles, but never first, so it will always be quite difficult and uphill.”
Formula 1 heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 19-21 September. Live on Sky Sports F1. Watch Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.
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