IMOLA, Italy (AP) — Lewis Hamilton finished his first Formula 1 race in Italy for Ferrari by dedicating his result to the team’s fans. The fact it was fourth place shows how difficult Ferrari’s season has become.
“Grazie a tutti (thank you, everyone) for the tifosi, that was for them,” Hamilton said over the team radio, honoring the passionate fans whose shirts made the stands at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix a sea of Ferrari red.
It was the seven-time champion's best finish in a Grand Prix race with Ferrari, but the team still wasn't in the fight with the Red Bull and McLaren cars in the podium places.
“We didn't expect the result that we had today,” Hamilton told British broadcaster Sky Sports, adding that it had been “tough to swallow” when he and teammate Charles Leclerc both qualified outside the top 10 the day before.
“I felt I won with the car, and I think you could probably see that. It felt so great to finally get the setup right,” he added. “I mean, ecstatic. I was hoping for some more laps. It would have been great to have challenged for a podium.”
The Ferrari fans cheered Sunday as Hamilton fought his way up through the field from 12th on the grid and winced when Leclerc came close to colliding with Williams' Alex Albon.
Hoping for more
Hamilton managed to get past both Albon and Leclerc in the aftermath, putting him on course to finish fourth. Still, it wasn't the kind of result which Hamilton, Ferrari or their fans had hoped for when the British driver signed for the Italian team last year.
It's been nearly two months since Hamilton's stunning win in an F1 sprint race in China - followed by a double disqualification for him and Leclerc in the Grand Prix the next day - and Ferrari has been off the pace ever since.
Setups, tires and brakes have all been concerns for Ferrari as it tries to get the best out of the car without repeating any of the mistakes which led to illegal wear on Hamilton's car's floor in China.
Leclerc heads to his home race in Monaco next week after a frustrating race Sunday, but with eight more points than Hamilton and the only Grand Prix podium finish for Ferrari this season.
Leclerc lost out from a mid-race period under virtual safety car restrictions and was aggrieved when the team asked him to yield a place to Albon to head off a potential penalty for forcing the Williams driver off track.
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