Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 3: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has said winning the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Scuderia Ferrari would be “phenomenal” as the team looks to capitalise on the support of its home fans and recent upgrades to the SF-26.

Hamilton has won the Monza Grand Prix five times — four times with Mercedes and once with McLaren. However, the seven-time world champion is yet to win at Ferrari’s home race, having finished sixth in his first season with the Maranello-based team in 2025.

“There is a first ahead of me, in the sense that if I were to win, I would go into new territory, winning for the first time with Ferrari at Monza. It would be phenomenal,” Hamilton told the media on Thursday.

“The pressure's high. You want to do it for the team. Many of them will come to this race. The tifosi come out in huge numbers with a passion that's unmatched,” he said.

Hamilton will also have his mother watching from the stands and cheering alongside the Tifosi for him and Ferrari.

“And my mum's here. I don't think she's been to Monza, and certainly not (while I was) with Ferrari. I wanted her to experience this and bring any lucky dust she can bring,” he said.

Hamilton also spoke about Ferrari’s engine upgrade for the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, saying the improvements would help but would not completely bridge the deficit the team faces in its title challenge.

“Every little helps. Until this point of the year, even last race, we were losing 0.4 seconds a lap (on the straights). We have carried that deficit,” Hamilton said.

“This is a step forward. It is not the whole amount we need, but we knew that was the case. I strongly believe we have what it takes to win. To win this weekend, the whole collective has to come together. Everything has to flow from the beginning,” Hamilton added.