Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton faces Ferrari pressure ahead of emotional Monza weekend

After a long and difficult first half of the season, Lewis Hamilton will go into this weekend’s Italian GP with a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s F1 expert Noah Ngcobo breaks down the pressure the Brit is under heading into his first Italian Grand Prix as a member of the Scuderia.

A homecoming filled with expectations

Lewis Hamilton is preparing for one of the most significant weekends of his first season with Ferrari as the Formula 1 paddock arrives in Monza.

The seven-time world champion, who has five Italian Grand Prix victories to his name, is still chasing his first podium at the Temple of Speed since 2019.

This year, the pressure feels heavier than ever. Ferrari have not managed a race win all season, and Hamilton has often been overshadowed by his team-mate Charles Leclerc.

For Hamilton, Monza represents more than another race. It is his first Italian Grand Prix in Ferrari red, and it comes at a time when questions are being raised about his ability to deliver results at 40 years old.

The initial wave of excitement that greeted his signing has started to settle into cautious judgment, and the tifosi will be watching closely.

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The burden of a grid penalty

Hamilton will not start the weekend on equal footing. Following an infringement at Zandvoort, where he failed to slow under double yellow flags during reconnaissance laps, he has been handed a five-place grid penalty.

The timing of the punishment could not be worse, as Ferrari searches for momentum and Hamilton looks to silence critics.

Currently sitting 42 points behind Leclerc in the championship standings, Hamilton knows the gap is significant.

Both Ferrari drivers have endured setbacks this season, including a shared disqualification in China and, most recently, a double retirement in the Netherlands, where Leclerc crashed after contact with Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Leclerc’s warning and the unique energy of Monza

Leclerc, who famously triumphed in Monza in 2019 and again in 2024, has already offered his new team-mate a glimpse into what awaits.

He believes that even Hamilton, with all his career highs, will still be taken aback by the intensity of the Italian crowd.

“I just told him how crazy it is going to be and how exhausting the week feels,” Leclerc said earlier in the week.

“From Tuesday to Sunday you are carried by the passion of the fans. You only realise how drained you are when the race is over. But the energy is always positive.”

Hamilton has already raced in Italy with Ferrari, finishing fourth at Imola in May. Still, Leclerc insists Monza is different.

The roar of the tifosi, the sea of red in the grandstands, and the weight of history all combine to make it a uniquely emotional race for Ferrari drivers.

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Ferrari’s chances against fierce rivals

Despite the optimism that comes with racing on home soil, Ferrari enter the weekend as underdogs.

McLaren’s form has been dominant, and Leclerc has openly admitted that a repeat of his own Monza victories will be difficult to achieve.

“I hope that one of us can win because that would be very special,” Leclerc reflected. “But I do not think we are the favourites.

“You never know though, because the atmosphere and the energy of Monza make it a special place.”

Hamilton’s defining challenge

For Hamilton, Monza is not just another race in a long and storied career. It is a test of resilience and a chance to prove that his move to Ferrari was not merely symbolic.

The combination of fan expectations, a struggling car, and the added setback of a grid penalty has created a crucible of pressure.

How he responds this weekend could shape not only his season but also the narrative of his time with Ferrari.

A strong performance in front of the tifosi would lift the team and reaffirm Hamilton’s enduring ability to compete at the highest level.

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