Following his fourth-place result at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton suggested that this performance indicates Ferrari could soon contend for race victories.
Hamilton had a strong race day at Imola, climbing from a 12th-place start in qualifying. He benefited from strategic moments like a Virtual Safety Car and a full Safety Car, ultimately overtaking George Russell, Alex Albon, and Charles Leclerc late in the race to secure fourth behind Max Verstappen and the McLaren pair, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Addressing his team over the radio after his inaugural race in Italy with Ferrari, he stated, “Let`s keep pushing.” He also acknowledged the Tifosi fans.
He added that improving their qualifying performance and maintaining Sunday`s race pace would put them in a position to win.
Ferrari introduced updates to the rear of the car hoping for a pace boost at Imola. However, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced difficulties with tyre performance during qualifying, resulting in them missing out on Q3.
The seven-time champion described Saturday`s qualifying as `devastating` for the team and admitted he didn`t initially expect to score substantial points in the race.
His prospects looked even dimmer after losing a place to Kimi Antonelli at the start. However, a longer initial tyre stint than several competitors, followed by a Safety Car period enabling a switch to fresh tyres, helped him advance from seventh to fourth in the final laps.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton commented, “We didn’t expect the result that we had today.”
“We came into the weekend very hopeful,” he explained, “and there was a small fix for a component we anticipated would aid our progress, which it did.”
“However, qualifying was tough, being knocked out before Q3 was hard to accept,” he continued, “but everyone in the team arrived today with high spirits and immense motivation.”
He praised the team`s strategic work: “They did a fantastic job with the strategy. The timing was spot on, the communication was calm, concise, and clear – I felt like I won together with the car.”
This contrasts with the previous race in Miami, where Hamilton had voiced frustration over Ferrari`s strategy, feeling a crucial call to allow him past Leclerc was delayed.
At Imola, however, Ferrari`s key strategic decisions worked well for Hamilton. He speculated that he might have even contested a podium spot if Kimi Antonelli`s car had been removed from the track faster during the Safety Car phase.
“It felt incredibly good to finally nail the set-up and feel that connection with the car throughout the entire race,” he commented.
“I`m ecstatic,” he added, “It would have been wonderful to have a few more laps and potentially fight for a podium finish.”
He believes they are “slowly getting there” and specifically commended his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, for their excellent communication.
“I was calm,” he noted, “which I think helped him [Adami] and the team stay calm, allowing them to execute the strategy smoothly. The pit stops were also awesome.”
Villeneuve: Ferrari`s Pace Questioned
In contrast to Hamilton`s positive outlook, F1 expert Jacques Villeneuve expressed skepticism about Ferrari`s immediate race-winning potential this season.
The 1997 world champion believes the team`s qualifying performance on Saturday offered a more accurate reflection of their current challenges.
“Qualifying wasn`t poor because they made mistakes; the raw pace simply wasn`t present,” Villeneuve stated.
He argued that a single race turnaround isn`t possible based on that, emphasizing that the entire team and car package needs improvement.
“However, as we saw today, Lewis is capable when the opportunity arises,” he conceded, “He rises to the occasion like he did.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur adopted a similarly cautious stance, advising against drawing overly optimistic conclusions about future prospects solely based on Hamilton`s strong race drive.
“We need to move past the cycle where a good weekend for Lewis means everything is perfect, and a poor one means disaster,” he told reporters.
“We must remain calm, take things step by step, and focus on working together,” Vasseur stressed. “I am very pleased with the collective effort from the team today.”
“Both Lewis and Charles performed well, and the strategy was effective,” he concluded. “Our only path forward is through unified teamwork.”
Next up in F1`s European triple-header is the Jewel in the Crown, the Monaco Grand Prix on May 23-25.
