Following his strong fourth-place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence that Ferrari is nearing a position to compete for race victories.
Hamilton executed an impressive recovery drive on Sunday at Imola, climbing from a challenging 12th-place start in qualifying. He strategically benefited from both a Virtual Safety Car and a subsequent Safety Car period. In the closing laps, he made crucial overtakes on George Russell, Alex Albon, and Charles Leclerc to secure fourth place, finishing behind winner Max Verstappen and the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“Let`s keep pushing,” he commented over the team radio after the race, his first in Italy for the team, as he acknowledged the Tifosi crowd.
He added, “If we can improve our qualifying performance and maintain this race pace, then we`ll be in a position to win.”
Ferrari had introduced upgrades to the car`s rear corner and rear wing with the hope of boosting pace at Imola. However, both Hamilton and teammate Leclerc struggled with tyre performance during qualifying, failing to reach the final Q3 session.
The seven-time world champion admitted that Saturday`s qualifying was “devastating” for the team and left him with low expectations for a significant points haul in Sunday`s race.
His initial hopes were further dampened when he lost a position to Kimi Antonelli at the start. However, a longer first stint compared to many competitors and the opportunity for fresh tyres during a Safety Car period proved advantageous, propelling him from seventh to fourth late in the race.
“We didn`t anticipate the result we achieved today,” Hamilton stated after the race.
“We came into the weekend with high hopes, and there was a small fix for a component that we believed would help us progress, which it did,” he explained.
“Then we faced qualifying, and being out of Q3 was difficult to accept. But I arrived today, and everyone`s spirits were high and they were incredibly motivated,” he continued.
“They executed the strategy brilliantly. The timing was perfect, calm, precise, and clear – and I truly felt I won together with the car today.”
Hamilton had previously voiced frustration with Ferrari`s strategy during the Miami race, feeling a key decision to allow him past Leclerc was delayed.
However, Ferrari made the right strategic calls for Hamilton at Imola. He felt a podium might have been possible had Antonelli`s car been cleared more quickly during the Safety Car period.
“It felt fantastic to finally get the set-up correct and feel that connection with the car throughout the race,” he remarked.
“I`m ecstatic. It would have been wonderful to have had a few more laps to challenge for a podium spot.”
He concluded, “I believe we are gradually making progress. I think Riccardo [Adami, his race engineer] and I worked incredibly well together with his communication. I remained calm, which I think helped him stay calm, and the team was calm, executing the strategy, and the pit stops were outstanding.”
Villeneuve: Ferrari`s True Pace Was Lacking
In contrast to Hamilton`s optimism, commentator Jacques Villeneuve did not share the belief that Ferrari`s car is ready for race wins this season.
The 1997 world champion suggested that Saturday`s qualifying pace provided a more realistic indication of the challenges facing the team.
“Qualifying wasn`t poor because they made mistakes; the fundamental pace simply wasn`t there,” Villeneuve commented.
“Therefore, you can`t achieve a complete turnaround based solely on that. The entire car and the entire team still need to improve,” he added.
“Clearly, as we witnessed today, Lewis is capable when the opportunity arises. When there`s a chance, he performs brilliantly, just as he did today.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur also struck a cautious tone regarding future prospects following Hamilton`s performance.
“We need to stop this narrative where if Lewis has a good weekend, everything is perfect, or if it`s not a good weekend, everything is a disaster,” Vasseur told reporters after the race.
“We must take things calmly, remain composed, and work together. I am very pleased with the effort put in by everyone in the team today,” he said.
“Lewis and Charles both did a good job; the strategy was effective. The only way for us to improve is by functioning as a unified team.”
