Lewis Hamilton turned heads ahead of Italian Grand Prix qualifying at Monza, arriving in the paddock aboard a striking Ducati Panigale V4 S painted in Italy’s green, white and red tricolore livery.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion switched from MV Agusta to Ducati earlier this year, opting for the high-end Panigale V4 S. Powered by a 1103cc engine producing 216bhp and 120.9Nm of torque at 11,250rpm, the superbike sits firmly at the top tier of sports machines.
This weekend also marks Hamilton’s first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, though he will have to serve a five-place grid penalty. The Briton was penalized for failing to slow under double-waved yellow flags at Zandvoort last week, a race that ended in disaster for Ferrari with a double DNF — Hamilton crashed out, while teammate Charles Leclerc was eliminated after contact with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Positive Signs at Ferrari’s Home Race
Despite the penalty, Hamilton gave Ferrari fans plenty to cheer about on Friday, leading Leclerc to a 1-2 in opening practice.
Speaking about his first Monza outing in scarlet, Hamilton said:
“It feels incredible, amazing every time I leave the garage. Everything I imagined it would be and more. Seeing the Tifosi in Milan on Thursday and then driving out in red here at Monza – it’s really special.”
However, changes made to the car in FP2 didn’t pay off:
“P1 was really strong but P2 was much more of a struggle. Still, it’s better to try things in P2 than in FP3. There are lots of positives to take and we’ll work overnight to improve.”
Looking ahead to qualifying, Hamilton identified McLaren as the benchmark:
“The McLarens are still very fast. The fight across the top five and top 10 is really close. Overtaking isn’t easy here and of course I’ve got that penalty, but better to deal with it now than next year.”
