Hamilton warns Ferrari PU upgrade ‘not the whole gap’ but still dreams of Monza win in a Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton says the upgraded Ferrari power unit will not erase the whole deficit it has in terms of engine performance at the Italian Grand Prix, although he's hoping it will be enough of a boost to bring prospects for a home win for the team within reach.

Ferrari will introduce a new power unit at Monza that makes use of its additional development and upgrade opportunities (ADUO) to try and reduce the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull. While the Red Bull internal combustion engine (ICE) is deemed to be the strongest component, the entire Mercedes package is viewed as the benchmark, and Hamilton says the latest upgrade will only reduce some of the shortfall Ferrari faces.

“Every little helps,” Hamilton said. “And I think up until this point of the year, we’ve been losing… even in the last race on such a short circuit, we were losing four tenths a lap through the race. So that’s a huge deficit and we’ve carried that through the year to this point.

“What I can say is I’m just really, really proud of when I go back to the factory and I see how hard everyone is working, that they’re really just heads down. Everyone’s so enthusiastic. I see a different focus this year to last year.

“Last year, I felt like there wasn’t really a North Star. We were kind of, I think, doing the best we could, but not really knowing where exactly we’re trying to aim for. And now we have a North Star we know we need to work towards. And I think they’ve done a tremendous job to really pull together and deliver.

“This is a step forward. It’s not the whole gap that we need, but we knew that would be the case. But to see bits coming each weekend, adding to the car, it’s exciting to see that we are pushing and, you know, strongly still believe that we’ve got what it takes to win.”

With Kimi Antonelli starting from the back of the grid due to a power unit penalty, Hamilton could take a significant chunk out of the Italian’s championship lead should he win on Sunday. Such a result would see him move one win clear of Michael Schumacher, as the two seven-time world champions currently sit tied on five Monza victories each, and Hamilton admits he is aware a special moment could await.

“At this level, how close it is at the front, I think for us to win this weekend – and any weekend – the whole collective has to come together. It’s not just one thing. Everything has to flow from the beginning.

“And I’ve really thought coming into this weekend, as I pondered, just thinking of the sheer magnitude of the concept that I’m coming to this Grand Prix – I didn’t even know that I was equal with Michael in wins, for example, but the thought of that, that there’s a first ahead of me in a sense of potentially…

“But if I was to win, you go into new territory, winning in Monza for the first time with Ferrari is something… I’ve witnessed Charles [Leclerc] win, obviously, in 2019 when I was on the podium with him. But to do it whilst I’m here would be phenomenal.

“The thought of, if I did do that, I probably will be the only black driver to ever do that for Ferrari in Italy, probably in history, maybe. And so just a lot of those thoughts have been through my mind.

“And so, the pressure is high and you also want to deliver for the team. There are all those people at the factory, many of them will get to come to this race. The tifosi who come out in huge numbers and the passion is unmatched, and you want to deliver for them as well.

“And my mum’s here this weekend because she’s never experienced [this race] – she’s never actually, I don’t think, been to Monza – but also particularly on a Ferrari weekend. And I wanted her to experience that and bring any of the lucky dust she can bring.”