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MONZA, Italy — As a five-time winner of the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton knows what it is like to stand atop the iconic Monza podium after the checkered flag.
Suspended above the pit wall, the podium at Monza gives the top three a chance to gaze out at the thousands of fans who flood the main straight after the grand prix, waving flags and chanting to celebrate their success.
It’s an emotional, evocative moment, no matter which team you race for. But doing so as a Ferrari driver at the home of its loyal tifosi fanbase, with an atmosphere like nowhere else on the F1 calendar, is extra special.
The Italian national anthem rouses the Monza crowd to its fullest voice when it plays in honor of a Ferrari home win. The team has won 20 times at the track but just once in the past decade.
Even when racing for rival teams, McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton always felt welcomed at Monza. “There was one time we were really fighting against Ferrari,” he said on Thursday. “Even then, people were positive. There was never any negativity.”
This year’s Italian Grand Prix is different for Hamilton. In his first visit to Monza since announcing his shock move to Ferrari for 2025 at the start of February, it’ll be a chance for him to really connect with a tifosi that is already buzzing with excitement for the arrival of one of F1’s all-time greats in a few months.
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“I’m not going to lie, it definitely does feel a little bit different (this year),” Hamilton admitted. “It always feels special when you come here. There’s always such incredible passion throughout Italy just in the culture in general but particularly about racing.
“It’s always exciting just to see the fans that we’re going to see throughout the weekend. The passion and excitement that they really bring to this race is really not particularly matched in too many places.”
The tifosi – its name originating from the Ancient Greek ‘typhos,’ for the bonfire smoke ancient Olympian fans would experience after a win – has established itself as F1’s most vibrant, passionate fan base, becoming a core part of Ferrari’s rich history. While the iconic Ferrari red graces grandstands across the world, there is a unique, stirring impact when it adorns the Monza grandstands. Italy and F1 will always be deeply linked. But here, only one team truly matters.
Hamilton has experienced the Monza podium before, but never wearing the Ferrari red. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
“It’s such a special feeling because you can really see and feel the passion of the tifosi and all the people who are traveling to Monza for Ferrari, how much it means for them to actually be here,” said Charles Leclerc, who scored Ferrari’s most recent Monza win in 2019.
“Even to see the mechanics or the engineers, the tifosi are so happy. They are not only supporting the drivers, but they are supporting Ferrari as a whole, and every team member. It’s a special experience for everybody within the team.”
After announcing his decision to leave Mercedes, Hamilton said he’d always dreamed of one day putting on the red Ferrari race suit, to feel the rush of racing in the red cars. It was a move many Ferrari fans also dreamed about.
“Over the past few years, I’ve heard… is it ‘vin-ay Ferrari’? How do you say ‘come to Ferrari’?” Hamilton asked, turning to Leclerc, his teammate for 2025. Leclerc corrected him to ‘vieni Ferrari’.
“I heard that quite a lot,” Hamilton added. “So it will be interesting to see how that is this year.” Hamilton conceded his Italian remains as rusty as when he raced go-karts in Italy as a teenager.
Hamilton has already started to get a taste of what to expect from Ferrari fans at races this season. “I’ve had some people there who have asked me to sign Ferrari caps, and I’ve been like, ‘no no, it’s too early, it’s too soon!’” he said. “They’re trying to get ahead of the curve! But I have signed some caps, obviously.”
His first proper encounter with the tifosi since the Ferrari move was announced came at Imola, the opening Italian race of the year back in May. While it doesn’t hold the same significance as Monza, the country’s yearly F1 pilgrimage site, it was nevertheless a chance for Hamilton to understand how the Ferrari fans would embrace him.
“I got a really warm reception,” Hamilton said, before again turning to Leclerc: “There was this amazing picture of me, you and Fred (Vasseur) – did you see it?”
“As saints?” Leclerc replied, laughing with Hamilton as he recalled seeing the same poster.
Sir Lewis : “this is so good…I NEED TO GET MY HAIR OUT LIKE THAT” 😭😭😭😭
he saw it guys 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/CcRBloVJXE
— sim (@sim3744) May 18, 2024
The spotlight at Monza comes with drawbacks. From the moment the Ferrari drivers step outside of the paddock, they draw fans toward them like magnets. Even as Leclerc rode out of Ferrari’s garage to go around the track on Thursday evening, he had to carefully weave around the fans who were following him through the pit lane, taking pictures and trying to pose for selfies.
“It’s difficult to get in and out of the hotel every morning and every evening, but it’s a very special feeling,” Leclerc said, admitting the extra commitments could make for a “tiring week” at Monza but the support made it all worthwhile. “It’s motivating us at the maximum,” Leclerc said. “But Lewis will be experiencing that next year and we’ll experience that together. I’m sure it will be a special year.”
It’s an experience that Carlos Sainz will go through for the final time this weekend. When he returns to Monza next year, he’ll be racing for Williams after being the collateral damage in Hamilton’s move. While the tifosi will still cheer for a driver who has been an essential part of Ferrari’s recent history, the feeling and focus will undoubtedly be different for Sainz. Knowing that has prompted him to ensure he took the time to appreciate this weekend fully.
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“I’m really trying to enjoy it as much as possible, to embrace the feelings and try to be present,” said Sainz. “Before coming here this weekend, I tried to stop a bit, look around and say, ‘OK, I’m a Ferrari driver with options of a podium or a win this weekend if everything goes well,’ and try to enjoy that moment, enjoy the moment with the tifosi.”
That connection to the fans is something Hamilton has always used as a source of strength throughout his F1 career. From next season, ’Team LH’ and the tifosi will be united.
“I’m super excited,” Hamilton said. “Every year, having come here and seen (it), you’re on the podium, and you see the tifosi all the way down to Turn 1.
“I don’t really know what to expect. But I’m really looking forward to connecting with that community and being on the journey with them as we work towards taking the team forwards.”
Top photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images
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