Italian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton says grid penalty ‘gives me more to fight for’

Hamilton spent Wednesday at an event in Milan in front of about 7,000 fans, and before that visited the Ferrari factory in Maranello, where fans also gathered outside the gates.

The seven-time world champion said he “still has to pinch myself” about the fact that he is now a Ferrari driver.

He added: “There is clearly so much love for this brand, and to be in Milan in the heart of it all and to see how passionate they all were, it was intense, and I really tried to harness all the positive energy they gave us.”

Hamilton has had a difficult start to his Ferrari career, and has yet to stand on a podium for the team, despite a victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

He is sixth in the drivers’ championship with 109 points – 200 fewer than leader Oscar Piastri.

But Hamilton said he felt he and the team were making progress and that he was “on the brighter end of the tunnel”.

He added: “This one is really living the dream, moving to race with Ferrari.

“I had the whole of last year to think about it and try to prepare but there are still things you couldn’t foresee.

“There has been a lot of adjustment from my side and the team side to accommodate me.

“They’ve really moved heaven and earth to accommodate me. Obviously, there are cultural differences.

“Fred (Vasseur, the team principal) made a comment that perhaps they underestimated me joining the team and the year we’ve been faced with in terms of the problems with the car.

“But the harder it is, the better it can make you. It really prepares us for better days and we will be stronger having gone through this tough first six months.”