Hamilton Pursued Final Tenths, Finished fourth at Italian Grand Prix
MONZA, ITALY – Lewis Hamilton secured a fourth-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix, a marked improvement from his challenging race at Zandvoort, relentlessly seeking to close the gap to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the closing laps. The Mercedes driver finished behind Max verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell, demonstrating a competitive pace despite ultimately being unable to overtake Leclerc for a podium position.
The result represents a positive step for Hamilton after a tough weekend in the Netherlands, where he struggled with car setup and finished 12th. The Italian Grand Prix saw a more encouraging performance, with Hamilton consistently improving his lap times and engaging in wheel-to-wheel battles. This race is pivotal as teams begin to refine strategies and car setups ahead of the upcoming races, with championship implications looming for both drivers and constructors.
Following the chequered flag, Hamilton expressed gratitude to his team, stating, “Great job this weekend, guys.Solid result. Sorry I couldn’t get further up, but I gave it everything.” Team members Bozzi and Adami responded with praise for Hamilton’s efforts, with Bozzi instructing, “Charge button on. Some good fighting, well done. Pick up where you can,” and Adami acknowledging a “solid job” and “good comeback.”
Hamilton also acknowledged the passionate italian fans, adding, “Grazie a tutti, tifosi.” The team echoed the sentiment,with Bozzi replying,”Grazie a te,we keep pushing.” Discussions than turned to pit stop performance,with Hamilton praising the team’s “mega effort” during tire changes.
The team directed Hamilton to switch to P Zero tires during his pit stop, and Adami highlighted Hamilton’s strong start, noting he “passed a couple of cars.” Despite his efforts, Hamilton lamented the significant gap to Leclerc, stating, “That gap was just far too big.” The race concludes a weekend of intense competition at Monza, with teams now turning their attention to the next stage of the Formula 1 season.