Still 'first-timer' Hamilton outlines key factor to Ferrari win in Monaco

18:42, 20 May

Updated: 19:59, 20 May

byNorberto Mujica

Lewis Hamilton was a happy camper after the Imola Grand Prix, and believes he and Ferrari can have yet another good outing at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, if they get a handle on the complex Pirelli rubber's performance over a lap.

Having started P12 after a dismal qualifying showing by Ferrari, Hamilton went on to finish the race in P4 behind Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri alone. Nevertheless, the Briton highlights the difficulty in achieving this result since every race is an unknown for him.

"Well, I mean, again, just every race I go to it's the first time with this car," said Hamilton to media like GPblog after the race in Imola where he also pipped teammate Charles Leclerc. "So I really have no idea what a Ferrari feels like."

Lewis Hamilton attempting an overtake on Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Tamburello

Hamilton believes there may yet be hope for Ferrari at Monaco

Regardless, Hamilton hopes that Ferrari can continue on its trend to perform at Monaco, with Charles Leclerc scoring pole on three of the last four qualifying sessions at the principality.

"The races coming up, particularly Monaco, a track where we have been strong in the past, I hope we can take some of the learnings from this weekend in the car and apply it."

Hamilton does note, that Ferrari's strong Imola result can be without significance at Monaco if the Scuderia doesn't solve its qualifying tyre warm up issues, given the fact that it's virtually impossible to gain positions on track at the principality, with qualifying usually being the defining moment of the Grand Prix weekend.

"It will still be a question about getting the tyres working in a single lap. If we can figure that out next week, then I think we could be in a good position."