Lewis Hamilton has been informed by his boss at Ferrari that he is expected to achieve a F1 podium before his maiden season with the team concludes. The seven-time world champion is yet to secure a top-three finish in a Grand Prix since joining the Italian outfit.
It has proved a challenging debut campaign in red for the British driver following his departure from Mercedes. The season has offered limited bright spots, save for his sprint triumph in only his second appearance as a Ferrari pilot at the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race in March. Prior to the summer interval, Hamilton appeared mentally drained following a difficult Hungarian Grand Prix where he failed to register points.
He also retired at Zandvoort when racing resumed, though his spirits lifted after extracting greater performance from his machine. His mood improved further at Monza over the weekend as he claimed sixth place in his maiden Italian Grand Prix representing the legendary marque.
Hamilton climbed four positions during the race despite qualifying fifth fastest, before sliding to 10th on the starting grid due to a penalty.
He remains without a Grand Prix podium finish whilst racing for Ferrari, yet continues to enjoy unwavering support from the team’s passionate Italian supporters. Team principal Frederic Vasseur also maintains his confidence in the veteran racer.
The Frenchman declared following the Monza encounter that he considers it merely a question of when, not if, the 40-year-old returns to the front of the field.
“Yes, we can expect him to be on the podium,” said Vasseur. Despite a less than stellar result at Monza, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Hamilton sixth, the Ferrari team still received enthusiastic support from their loyal fans.
Team boss Vasseur believes this energy played a significant role. He stated: “I think the energy he received from the Tifosi on Wednesday, Thursday in Milan was something very special for him. It was something mega and I think this gave him an extra boost all over the weekend.”
Ferrari, despite being the only top-four team yet to secure a Grand Prix victory this year, remain second in the championship. They hold a 20-point lead over Mercedes and are 41 points clear of Red Bull, as they vie for the runner-up spot behind the dominant McLaren team, who have amassed a staggering 337-point lead.
Vasseur remains optimistic about the upcoming races, stating: “I think we have a couple of tracks where we are supposed to be also in good shape, starting with the next one. We are historically always in good shape in Baku. For sure, the goal is to finish P2 in the championship. McLaren is on another planet.”
