Sir Lewis Hamilton is driving in his final season with Mercedes. It is an emotional phase that the whole team is going through. After all, next year, he will drive for Ferrari. But fans must feel good about the fact that the most decorated driver joins the most successful team in history. The members of the Silver Arrows must feel happy for the seven-time champion, as it was his dream to race for the Prancing Horse. But it was a tough decision, as the 105-time F1 race winner is 39 years old. At 40, he will start racing for the iconic Ferrari side.
Who knows what the collaboration between the Italian manufacturers and the great Briton will be able to achieve? But the aim will always be to win World Champions. Can Ferrari help Hamilton win his coveted eighth title? Only time can tell. But at present, the superstar still drives for Mercedes. And he feels excited for the next race at Monza, Italy. During FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheet. Moreover, the seven-time champion feels good about the upcoming qualifying session.
Mercedes Driver Topped Timesheet During FP2 At Monza
After the Italian prodigy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a disappointing FP1 session, Mercedes needed some good news from the second practice. Well, they got it, as the seven-time champion was able to top the timesheet during FP2 ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. were not fast enough to beat the great Briton. On the other hand, George Russell had to drive the car that Kimi Antonelli crashed earlier in the day. Lewis Hamilton managed to clock 1:20.738 time to finish in front of Norris. The Mercedes superstar was only three-thousandths of a second faster than the McLaren driver. Anyway, Ferrari came with new upgrades at their home track. Carlos Sainz Jr., Charles Leclerc and even McLaren’s Oscar Piastri managed to finish in the top five during the second practice. When Kevin Magnussen of Haas hit a barrier, it halted the session temporarily.
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Albeit, in FP1, Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, led the way, finishing in front of Charles Leclerc and his good friend cum nearest rival in this year’s standing, Lando Norris. However, the reigning champ finished 14th during the second practice session. On the other hand, his teammate, Sergio Perez, finished 15th in FP2. Neither of the Red Bull drivers could complete a proper qualifying simulation. In the last Dutch GP, Lando Norris beat the Red Bull champ by almost 22 seconds. Big thing to worry for the Austrian outfit. Now, Verstappen’s lead is down to 70 points.
Lewis Hamilton Says, “The Car Feels Good At Monza”
In the post-race interview, Lewis Hamilton mentioned that it was a pretty good day, “Generally felt pretty good on the track.” Moreover, the seven-time champion addressed the new tarmac and the kerbs which obviously has been “A bit of a challenge.” Nonetheless, Hamilton feels the car felt good from the start. However, the Mercedes driver said a lot of teams, including them, were struggling with tyres, and there was a lot of graining.
But then they made some pretty good changes during the break. Hence, in the second session, Hamilton said the car felt even better. Albeit there is some work to do, Lewis said, “Ultimately, in the long run, Mercedes should be able to go the distance.” But at present, that’s the challenge, says the seven-time champion.
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