Hamilton fights his way forward at Monza – Brundle recognizes a new attitude in the Brit, but the car remains “foreign” to him
Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle has identified a change in Lewis Hamilton’s approach at Ferrari after the Italian Grand Prix. Despite a five-place grid penalty, the Briton showed a visible increase in confidence at Monza and ultimately finished sixth.
Hamilton started the weekend with a five-place grid penalty after his offense at the Dutch Grand Prix, where he drove too fast under double yellow flags. In front of the Tifosi, he therefore had to start from tenth place.
Nevertheless, the seven-time world champion fought his way through the field, even if he was unable to overtake his former Mercedes teammate George Russell. For Hamilton, who has struggled so far in 2025, it was nevertheless a liberating moment—and a glimmer of hope for Ferrari.
Stronger and faster
Brundle analyzed in his column for Sky Sports F1: “Lewis Hamilton had a five-place grid penalty for the incident at Zandvoort, which, to be honest, was completely justified. So he had to start from tenth place. But as we saw at Silverstone and in other races, we saw the Lewis we know from previous years as he worked his way through the field.”
“Overall, he seemed much more comfortable in the car and appears to have adjusted his mindset: making the most of the package instead of getting annoyed that he’s not in a car capable of winning. He’s probably also come to terms with how fast Charles Leclerc actually is. It was nice to see Lewis looking happier again.”
Since joining Ferrari at the start of the season, the 40-year-old has been clearly behind his teammate Leclerc. The Monegasque driver is fifth in the drivers’ standings with five podium finishes and already has a 46-point lead over Hamilton. Hamilton has only managed one sprint victory in China so far and is still waiting for his first podium finish in the red car.
Car still “foreign”
Hamilton himself said after the Monza race: “I think this weekend has significantly boosted my confidence in the car. I still don’t feel 100 percent comfortable in the car. Ultimately, it forces me into a somewhat foreign driving style that I haven’t completely internalized yet.”
“But overall, our performance was decent. Of course, we don’t have the pace of the cars far ahead of us. So it’s not enough for the top 3 at the moment, but we’ll keep pushing and try to get more and more out of it.”
Hamilton still finds the car “unfamiliar.” He says: “I know I’ve been driving this car all year now, but in my earlier years, I was part of a project where you develop the car over time and become fully familiar with it. You know the driving style inside and out.”
Important steps forward
“This year, I come to the track and have to adopt a new driving style that still feels foreign to me. It doesn’t feel natural—but that’s how this car works. During the race, I get better and faster, gaining more confidence step by step.”
“But at the beginning of the weekend, that confidence isn’t there yet to really take full advantage of it. If we had done qualifying now, I’m sure I would have been much faster. But that’s all part of it,” said the Briton.
