Why is Lewis Hamilton ‘Shocked’ by the ‘Hardcore’ Penalty Before His First Ferrari Monza GP?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Hamilton is shocked by his penalty.
- He is motivated to recover positions in Monza.
- Penalty adds a challenge to qualifying.
- Hamilton aims to impress the Tifosi.
- Experience from this incident will be valuable.
Monza, Sept 3 (NationPress) Lewis Hamilton expressed his disbelief regarding the five-place grid penalty that will impact his inaugural Italian Grand Prix as a driver for Ferrari this weekend. However, he remains highly motivated to recover in front of the passionate Tifosi.
Starting no higher than sixth at Ferrari's home race, Hamilton faced sanctions after Zandvoort stewards determined he did not slow down enough for double-waved yellow flags during reconnaissance laps leading up to last Sunday’s Dutch GP.
This incident was only reviewed after the race, which ended in a crash for Hamilton, and the penalty was confirmed shortly thereafter. Alongside the grid drop, he also received two penalty points on his FIA Super Licence.
Commenting on the penalty for the first time as F1 arrives at Monza, Hamilton shared his frustration over the timing. “Of course,” he stated when asked about his dissatisfaction with the late ruling.
“I got back home and saw that I had received this penalty, and I was genuinely shocked, to be honest. But it is what it is. It’s obviously not a clear-cut situation. According to the [stewards’] report, I did lift, but apparently, not enough, which is why they decided to impose this penalty.”
Hamilton characterized the punishment as particularly harsh. “Receiving the penalty along with penalty points is quite hardcore, but I’ll learn from this experience, and there’s no point in complaining about it; I’ll move forward.”
The seven-time world champion recognized that this penalty introduces an additional challenge to an already competitive qualifying session.
“This weekend is going to be tough. The competition is so close among us all. Just making it into Q3 is challenging, and breaking into the top five is extremely difficult. Being set back five places complicates matters further, especially during my first Monza GP with Ferrari.”
Nevertheless, Hamilton embraces the challenge ahead. “This gives me more to fight for, and I’m genuinely motivated to recover those positions, regardless.”