Hamilton Leclerc Hulkenberg | F1 2024 Italian Grand Prix Pre-race press conference

part two of our driver press conference here at monzo we're joined This Time by closest to me sha Clair then leis Hamilton and Nico hulkenberg welcome all three uh sh why don't I start with you everything okay yep so two podiums in a row for you uh things seem to be going well just how much confidence do you have coming into the team's home race uh I mean I I don't let the last two races uh change our expectations we are in a difficult moment for the team we are struggling a little bit with Pace at the moment I think we understood quite a few things since zanard especially on what happened on Saturday where our performance was quite far from ideal but on the Sunday it was a good race uh in spite was good as well here it should be a bit more in the direction of spa so uh hopefully we'll be a bit more in the fight for the podium however for the win I don't think we quite have that yet well you have some upgrades here and as you said the car was good at Spar so are you hopeful about it in low down Force trim I think we are in a better position than on uh higher down for St so it should be um yeah it should be a bit better uh how much better it's still to be seen we'll also have some upgrades on the car which uh should go in the right direction so uh uh hopefully when we put everything together we are closer than uh where we were in uh in the last year races sh that's the key isn't it putting everything together I mean from these upgrades is there one thing that you need is it just better consistency uh let's say that our I mean there were very specific characteristics of the car that we had to to improve I'm not going to go too much into details and uh this where those upgrades should help us um then we'll see because I don't think monai is the best track to uh judge those those upgrades uh probably Baku or Singapore will be a more of of a test for us but uh but it should go in the right direction anyway uh but by how much I don't know yet all right sh final one from me where at Monza Ferrari's home race you're sat next to leis Hamilton your teammate in 2025 so I think this might be the perfect opportunity for you to just give him some advice about what it's like being a Ferrari driver what can he expect I mean I don't think Lew needs any kind of advice but it's definitely very very special uh to be driving for Ferrari in Monza and in Italy there's something uh that is Iconic and um and yeah it's such a special feeling the amount of support we have we obviously have it everywhere in the world but whenever we are in Italy it's extra special it's uh difficult to get in and out of the hotel every morning and every evening but it's a it's a very special feeling and we have so much support so it's uh motivating us uh at the maximum but LS will be experiencing that uh next year and we'll experience that together and I'm sure it will be a a special year but uh until then we've got to maximize and hopefully put the cow a bit higher up in the standing all right thank you for that and Louis coming to you just given what's happening next year does it feel different for you being in Monza this year uh hi one um I'm not going to lie it definitely does feel a little bit different I mean it always feels special when you come here um we coming here at a decent time in terms of the weather's incredible today obviously the huge changes they made to the track but as charl was saying there's there's always such incredible passion with throughout Italy just in the culture in general but particularly about racing and uh it's always exciting just to see the you the fans that we're going to see throughout the weekend the passion here and the excitement that they they really bring to this race is um is really not particularly matched in too many places well let's talk about you and performance now uh the team has had six or had six consecutive podiums prior to last weekend how much of a shock was the performance of the car at zanville it wasn't that it was a shock we just we struggled to get the balance in the in the perfect window and I think you could see with these cars today it's I mean particularly with our car but I think many teams experience it it's kind of on a on a knife edge and um can easily go one way or the other um in hindsight we looked back on some things and we would have done things slightly different differently actual Pace wise I would think I was the third fastest through average uh through the race so our race Pace wasn't terrible and it didn't really show the the results didn't show the True Performance in the race but qualifying needed to be a bit better given your pace uh at Spar which you won and of course the pace of the car in Montreal are you a little bit more hopeful this weekend in low down Force trim I mean as I said we've learned quite a lot from last weekend so I'm I'm definitely more hopeful coming into this weekend that the car will be nicer to drive again um but you've got others that are bringing upgrades this weekend so you have to expect Ferrari going to be quick with their upgrade you have to expect that um McLaren with the advantage and the last lap that he was able to pull out in the last race they're going to be rapid this weekend um so I'm just hopeful that we're there are thereabouts look final one from me about Kimmy Antonelli who's doing fp1 for the team on Friday um he's only just turned 18 just what kind of a talent is he well I mean I I was I said a long time ago that I think that's who the team should choose moving forwards um and time will tell what uh what they didn't end up deciding to do but I think um no he's he's one of those young super talented kids that's come through I mean he's a young adult now but yeah he's only 18 so I think I think it'd be good for people just to remember he is just turning 18 and he's got uh a bright future ahead of him and um yeah um I'm really excited to see and watch his progress I saw a picture earlier on of us back in I think 2018 and he was one of the uh grid kids and I'm like shaking his hand at the front of the grid so it's um it's obviously reminds you how old you are when you have those experiences is but um yeah looking forward to seeing his growth and and his journey through into 4 One leis thank you for that Nico thank you for waiting um look after the highs of Austria and Silverstone uh the last few races have been a bit harder bit more challenging for the team uh are you confident that the layout of Monza will play more to the strengths of the car frankly not super confident um last year was a struggle here this year I mean the car has been much much better uh on a whole on on all type of circuits but yeah like you say the last three races have been challenging I think we didn't quite maximize our weekends on top of that in spa in particular we weren't competitive enough um here so it's difficult to judge um I'd rather you know do some laps tomorrow and see how the the package feels here well what about the new Asel the the new curbs does that make it more of an opportunity for someone yeah it's all real it happens there is new asphal there's new new curbs so we go out there and learn about them tomorrow uh see you know how how the tires cope with it how that might change you know some some little details um overall obviously the layout is the same but yeah all these other uh small things been tweaked but overall Monza you know one of my favorite events it's an amazing atmosphere here thei the the energy is incredible so uh yeah look forward to to the weekend ahead and Nico your new boss Matti bonotto uh is going to be in attendance you were a bit ahead ahead of yourself but he's going to be in attendance this weekend uh Audi are in in less than 18 months now I just wanted your thoughts on what you think job number one for Matia is at the team well obviously it's early days for him he he's just um arrived at the team so obviously he needs to you know um yeah make himself aware of the situation get a picture of what's going on you know understand all the Departments the people and then I'm sure he has some ideas whe How to you know optimize it um and and take it a step further so uh I guess that's the the process that he's in now and he'll uh he'll start working and and one of the few seats that's still up for grabs for next year is the second Salo would you like youth or experience alongside you to be honest open subject um it's um it's subject you know and and and I think that's you know not my power I have no say no nothing to to um to do with it to be honest I'm open I'd like the the best and strongest teammate possible because I think you know you need two strong drivers um it's incredibly competitive in Formula 1 so it's important to um to have the best do possible all right we'll leave it to that thank you very much let's open this to the broadcasters now who's first David uh David Croft Sky Sports F1 Lewis if I could go back to you on the subject of of Kimmy Antonelli what has he got that made you think a long time ago yeah he's the guy that Mercedes should be taking for the future what is it about his racing what is it about him that made him or makes him a suitable candidate in your eyes um I think it's I mean it's we've been watching him through the through the different formulas I think um naturally is a Mercedes driver I I just think that I mean we are starting to see a lot younger um drivers coming through and I think we're just in that time where you know there's only 20 seats and um I think it's time we're starting to see this new wave come through in terms of taking on another driver that's had many many years of experience as opposed to giving an opportunity to a youngster that's what McLaren did for me and it worked out well so um in my in my opinion it's just an opportunity for for him to grow he's going to get to work uh he would get to work with the best in in class um learn from people that I've worked with for so many many years so um but it is a lot of weight on someone's shoulders but as I said it's a great environment that I think they would just be able to nurture him and carry him through it but um yeah but there are other really good options so you'd have to ask Toto which which one he's leaning towards thank you leis all right next one ran Rodriguez from D Spain a question to to Charles uh Ferrari here in monsa is the most successful team in the history but but as well in the last years looks like Ferrari always performance here properly uh you as a team as Ferrari is is this a race where you feel like you must do better than anywhere else um I wouldn't say the feeling is that we must do better however there's definitely a huge motivation because it's not only a normal weekend that starts from the Thursday to the Sunday but it starts already from Monday in maranelo where we have so many tifosi um and that uh obviously motiv motivates everybody it seems and it looks like we've had a pretty strong car with u a very low downfall package even in the last few years where performance was not as good uh so that's that's positive because it's our home race and um as much as it's giving exactly the same amount of points as other races emotionally speaking and for the whole team it's it's definitely a special one so it's really important for everybody to do well um yeah however we are not doing anything different to perform better at this track it just happened that our low down Force package in the last few years was was pretty good and and whenever we we came here we were uh on the good side of of our performances thank you Char yes next one o SK Germany Charles um can you describe the myth of mon especially as a Ferrari driver again it's it's cra it's um it's such a special feeling because you can really see and feel the passion of the tifosi and all the the people that are traveling to Monza for Ferrari how much it means for them to actually be here um see us dressed in red not not this weekend because I'm I'm in Black this weekend but however even to see the mechanics or Engineers the toosi are so happy and they are not only supporting the drivers but obviously they are supporting Ferrari as a whole and every team me MERS it's a special experience for for everybody within the team so uh it's a very very special weekend it's a tiring week um and and that's where it's important to uh uh keep your energy for the Sunday uh but uh let's say it's it's positive energy and uh and and you get a lot of uh of support um and and yeah as I said from from the Monday to the Sunday it's just a very special week thank you show next weeko pan from M TV Greece a question for all three now that we have a calendar with 24 races how important do you think breaks like the summer break are for the whole team both for you but also you know for the common members the mechanics and every member of the team to have this time off and uh have full batteries just in the interest of time we'll keep it to two uh Nico let's start with you yeah I think it's uh very important these breaks um it's a demanding schedule 24 races more than ever um um we have triple headers which you know are very tough uh on on a lot of the team members that kind of you know work long hours and and are flat out pretty much for three weeks so uh summer break is important we have another long break or longer break after Singapore um and personally I feel this year the schedule um is a bit more balanced with more breaks um and I'm sure for for team members involved um that have the hardest jobs that's that's really appreciated and it's positive and Sh how about you yeah I think as drivers we cannot really complain we uh travel in the best um yeah in the best possible way we stay uh in great hotels and we also have a program that is fitted for for an athlete so we we try and go to sleep relatively early and and uh sleep as much as possible and everything is done for our well-being however for the Mechanics for the engineers sometimes there's a lot of work they get to the track much earlier they leave the track much later and uh so it's it's a lot more difficult and also to just have a normal life outside of racing it's it's very difficult so uh it's definitely needed um uh but but as a driver I can't complain but I will say that 24 races is probably the maximum or at least The Sweet Spot um than that will be will be too much all right thanks both the next one yeah question to L Nini SK sport Italy what kind of Welcome do you expect here this year and uh it may be different from the past I mean I I don't know what to expect um if I'm honest the last couple of years I mean over the last few years I've had um a really warm welcome every every time I've come to be honest there was one time when we were fighting against against Ferrari I can't remember what year that was but um but even then uh people were positive there was never any negativity I think uh over the past few years I've heard uh V is it v v Ferrari how do you say come to Ferrari vien in Ferrari vien in Ferrari yeah so I heard that quite a lot and um so it'll be interesting to see uh how that is this year but already in IMA fre for example I I got a really warm reception and there was this amazing picture of of of me you and Fred did you see it