Ferrari Shows Promise as Hamilton Qualifies Fifth

Hamilton sees progress with Ferrari at Monza

Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Ferrari's progress after qualifying fifth at Monza, despite a penalty dropping him to 10th. Get the latest F1 updates.

“These last couple of races have been tough... but we have let all that go and we are focused on delivering the job...”

Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Ferrari's progress after a promising qualifying session at the Monza Grand Prix. The seven-time F1 champion managed to qualify fifth, while his teammate Charles Leclerc secured fourth place. However, Hamilton's starting position will drop to 10th due to a penalty carried over from last weekend's race at Zandvoort.

Despite the setback, Hamilton believes the team is moving in the right direction. He's been working closely with Ferrari to implement changes and improve their communication and workflows, describing it as a “work in progress.” The partnership between Hamilton and Ferrari is still evolving, with both sides learning to adapt to each other's working styles.

Hamilton's debut season with Ferrari has been a learning curve, with the team struggling to match the pace of dominant McLaren. Nevertheless, Hamilton remains hopeful about their chances, particularly with the support of the crowd at home races like Silverstone. He's focused on building a strong foundation with the team and is eager to see progress in the remaining races.

Now onto the big one tomorrow 🤝 pic.twitter.com/N3dFi989a4

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 6, 2025

 

Despite the setback, George Russell saw plenty to be positive about, just a week after he and Charles Leclerc crashed out at the Dutch Grand Prix. Barely a month ago, Russell described his performance as "useless," but he and his team have moved on from that. “These last couple of races have been tough... but we have let all that go and we are focused on delivering the job, and absorbing the positives and the passion of the fans,” said the 40-year-old.

“So far, it has been incredible, amazing. I don’t know what other word I can find for it,” he said.

“Showing up at the factory on Wednesday and driving to Milan and seeing so many people and then coming into the weekend the tifosi are everywhere, they are hiding behind trees. There are so many of them.

“As you leave the track they are on both sides as far as you can go and it is incredible to see the love that people have for this team. There is nothing like it.”

Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that Ferrari still has work to do, but he's encouraged by the progress they've made. “Of course we are not where we want to be, but fourth and fifth is progress and I want to keep on working with my engineers to extract more,” he said. Despite being a five-time winner at Monza, Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium in 15 races since joining Ferrari from Mercedes in January.

Hamilton's time with Ferrari has been marked by setbacks as he adapts to the car and team. He hasn't won a race in over a year, apart from a Saturday sprint. However, he's been heartened by the passionate support of Ferrari fans. Even when driving for Mercedes, Hamilton had a strong following in Italy, but wearing red has brought him even closer to the tifosi.