Hamilton braced for intense Ferrari home race pressure following Zandvoort crash

Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the mounting pressure as he prepares for his first race as a Ferrari driver at the Italian Grand Prix, following an unfortunate crash at the Dutch GP caused by an unforced error.

The seven-time world champion had an unexpected exit at Zandvoort when he lost control on the painted surface outside turn three, made slick by light rain. His car spun into the barriers, forcing an early end to his race.

This was far from the strong return he had hoped for after the summer break, as he continues to struggle in his debut season with Ferrari. The car has lacked pace, and adapting to the new team has proven challenging, as Hamilton admitted after the incident.

“There’s obviously a huge amount of pressure on us as a team, more so for me now,” he said. “I haven’t had a good season. Next week, we’ll just try to absorb all the energy from the fans.”

Despite the setback, he remained confident, stating that the weekend had shown progress after a series of disappointing results before the break.

“I’m fine, I feel fine mentally, I’ve felt lots of positives,” he said. “I felt I was making progress, I was catching the car ahead. It’s tough to have a result like that, but I’ve been racing for so long—I’ve had countless races, and these incidents are rare.”

However, he faces additional hurdles for Monza, receiving a five-place grid penalty for not slowing enough during a reconnaissance lap under yellow flags before Sunday’s race.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said Hamilton remained optimistic. “We discussed after the race—he was much more positive than in the last few events,” Vasseur noted. “He lost the car, but his mood was good because he could take positives from the weekend and build confidence for Monza.”

Ferrari’s struggles continued as Charles Leclerc collided with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on lap 53, spinning into the barriers and ending his race. Antonelli, who was penalized ten seconds for the incident, had attempted an inside move while Leclerc held the racing line.

Hamilton had expressed his hope to start enjoying his time with Ferrari after a taxing season and the scrutiny surrounding his move. Vasseur believes the team is on track to turn things around.

“To enjoy it, it’s largely a matter of results, confidence, pace, and being competitive,” Vasseur said. “Today, Lewis felt he was back in the fight—that’s a good sign.”