Lewis Hamilton has expressed his belief that securing a victory for Ferrari at their home race, the Italian Grand Prix, would be a "phenomenal" achievement in his career. The British driver, a seven-time champion, is competing with a car that he suggests may be even quicker on the Monza track.
Ferrari is bringing its second engine upgrade to this weekend's race, with the aim of reducing the gap to current title leaders, Mercedes. Hamilton currently trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 59 points.
A win at Monza would see Hamilton surpass Michael Schumacher's record of five victories at the circuit. Schumacher's five wins were all achieved with Ferrari, and the team is honouring him this weekend with a special livery marking 30 years since he joined the Scuderia.
Hamilton reflected on the historical significance of a potential Ferrari home win, stating, "If I did do that, I will be the only black driver to have ever done that for Ferrari in Italy, and possibly in history, too." He arrived at the track on Thursday in his Ferrari F40, echoing a previous photocall from his first appearance for Ferrari.