Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says that Lewis Hamilton has a ‘glass half full’ mindset going into Monza this weekend, despite a costly double DNF for the team at Zandvoort. After starting in sixth behind teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth, Hamilton crashed on Lap 23, followed by Leclerc after a collision with Kimi Antonelli later in the race.
The team is apparently optimistic going into the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, despite a confirmed five-place grid penalty awaiting Hamilton, after a failure to slow down under yellow flags.
The Dutch Grand Prix was a more positive race for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari
Vasseur is confident in Hamilton’s mindset ahead of Monza, after a successful first stint at the Dutch Grand Prix. Before he crashed, Hamilton had been competitive against George Russell ahead of him, showing signs of hope for the Constructors’ title battle.
After the race, Vasseur told the media: “He was, I would say, much more positive than the last four or five events. The fact that he was in the pace, able to fight with Russell, that we recovered from the tough Friday and so, that the mood was very positive.
“For sure, he lost the car, for sure. But the mood was positive, because I think he can take a lot of positives of the weekend, and build up the confidence for Monza.”
In Zandvoort, Hamilton made it to the final stage of Qualifying for the first time since the British Grand Prix, after suffering poor performances in both Belgium and Hungary. The 7-time World Champion has been vocal about his struggles with getting to grips with the car this season, previously suggesting that he was “useless”.
Hamilton was able to reflect positively on progress in Zandvoort
As well as positivity from Vasseur, Hamilton expressed a feeling of progress in the car after a string of difficult races before the summer break.
🔴⏩🔵| The boys in Red are looking a little blue going into Monza 🇮🇹
Will we see a special livery on the car as well?#F1 #ItalianGP https://t.co/IsuA5Iz1QL
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 1, 2025
Speaking with the media after his crash, Hamilton said: “I generally felt like it was going okay. I had good pace compared to Charles [Leclerc] ahead of me and my tyres were still okay. It’s not a normal sort of thing for me to crash out of a race.”
As Ferrari heads to their home race at Monza in front of the loyal Tifosi, they will be hoping for a clean weekend as they prepare for another tense race against their closest title rivals, Mercedes. Will Ferrari be able to show even more progress at the Temple of Speed?
