Lewis Hamilton clashes with reporter after Imola GP

Lewis Hamilton’s first competitive outing at Imola in scarlet delivered both a stirring comeback drive and a playful rebuke to sections of the Italian press.



On Saturday the seven-time champion had slumped to a surprise Q2 exit alongside Charles Leclerc, leaving many tifosi fearing another slog through traffic.



Yet 24 hours later he sliced from twelfth to fourth, passing his team-mate and Williams’ Alex Albon after a perfectly timed safety-car restart.



Minutes after stepping from the SF-25, Hamilton stopped by the Sky Sports Italia cameras and opened with a grin.



“Hopefully you have some nice things to say,” he teased, a line that instantly coloured the exchange as “spicy” in local headlines.







When the interviewer bristled, Hamilton clarified, “I’m not saying you did [not have nice things to say].”



The repartee set the stage for a disarmingly candid debrief that contrasted sharply with the terse radio messages that surfaced during Miami two weeks earlier.



Crowd Energises Veteran



Hamilton admitted the disappointing qualifying session had forced Ferrari to gamble on an aggressive offset strategy, double-stacking early in a bid to gain track position.



The plan paid off when crashes for Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman triggered a safety car that compressed the midfield pack.



“The car really felt great,” he reported, crediting overnight changes to rear-ride-height that improved traction out of Rivazza.



Fourth equals Ferrari’s best finish of the year and arrives at a circuit historically kind to the Scuderia, reinforcing belief that recent floor upgrades are beginning to yield returns.



Asked about the atmosphere, Hamilton’s tone softened.



“So, so happy. Firstly, the experience with the tifosi…wow. It’s been incredible. Thank you to everyone who came out,” he said.



“It was really very special for me to see the sea of red. I didn’t know what to expect this weekend or how many people would turn up but it looked like one of the biggest crowds we’ve had here.”



He likened the occasion to childhood memories of Michael Schumacher at Imola.



“It felt vintage, like back in the day when I was watching Michael [Schumacher] race here and you see that bond.”



Strategic Clarity Returns



Much of Hamilton’s early season friction centred on radio confusion with new race engineer Riccardo Adami.



At Imola the pair appeared in sync, communicating calmly even as tyre degradation spiked in the closing laps.



“The team did a fantastic job with the strategy, they were faultless. We’re slowly getting there. Me and Riccardo [Adami] did a fantastic job with his communication with me,” Hamilton reflected.



“I was calm, so he was calm and the team were calm in executing the strategy and the pit stops were awesome. So overall, mega. I was hoping for some extra laps otherwise we could have maybe fought for a podium.”



Ferrari’s modelling suggested another three laps would indeed have brought Lando Norris into range, but time expired before Hamilton could launch a final attack.



Season Outlook



Ferrari remains fourth in the constructors’ standings, yet the Imola points haul trims Mercedes’ advantage to 30.



Technical chief Enrico Cardile confirmed a revised front wing and lighter floor will debut in Monaco, potentially addressing the slow-corner deficiencies that hampered Hamilton in qualifying.



The driver himself is mindful that expectations remain sky-high.



“We’re slowly getting there,” he emphasised, signalling patience but also quiet confidence that podiums are imminent.



Unlike earlier dust-ups, the Imola interview framed criticism as fuel rather than distraction, suggesting Hamilton has found equilibrium in his new surroundings.



With contract clauses reportedly tying future salary steps to championship-standings targets, every incremental gain carries financial weight as well as sporting significance.



For now, a fourth-place finish and a cheeky opening salvo have tilted the narrative from disappointment to promise as the European leg of the season gathers pace.
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