F1 | Hamilton: “I didn't expect to win here”

Lewis Hamilton wins the Italian GP with another of his magical runs, snatching a Kimi Raikkonen the victory in the home race with a few laps to go. After the whole front row Ferrari achieved on Saturday, Rosso's enthusiasm waned lap after lap, while the Briton gradually paved his way towards a new success. With seven races to go Lewis sails towards the championship with a thirty point lead Hag and, regardless of the fans' boos Ferrari, it moves further and further away…

“This weekend with Ferrari was a tough and beautiful fight. I want to thank all the people for their continued support and commitment, without which today's victory would not have been possible. Even in the stands, despite the negative support, I saw flags for us, they know who they are. Thank you for always believing that anything is possible. We never give up!”.

“A big thank you to the team and Valtteri. Today was a difficult race but I accepted the challenge! The flags I see here just inspire me, the track is fantastic… it's truly an honor to be in front of such a crowd, thanks to everyone." 

“It was a great and fun race. This season we and Ferrari are so close and it's not easy. Even today it was about not making mistakes and keeping the tires under control, Valtteri did an excellent job in this sense, and allowed me to get closer. The team did a great job and a great pit stop. I'm really happy with this result; it wasn't a miracle, as you saw there are a lot of Ferrari fans out here and there was negative support towards us: this is what encourages me and gives me energy. Furthermore, when I see the English flags along the circuit... I gather my positivity from them and dedicate today's miracle to them." 

“The moment at the Roggia was intense and fundamental for the victory. At the start we started almost the same way but I had a little more speed. At the first corner I was surprised that Seb went to the left, and there was a little contact between us. I was amazed that Seb tried on the inside and not the outside on Kimi in Turn 4. I thought there was more space between us but it was a moment and even though my car was a little damaged I was able to continue without problems."

“I definitely didn't expect to win here, I started third and looking at the pace of the last races and yesterday's I certainly had no idea where we would find ourselves today. There's a lot of pressure on me and the team lately, from all sides, and what we try to do is capture the positive, push away the negative vibes and stay focused."

“When I got closer to Kimi and saw that he was suffering from a bit of blistering, I started to keep my tires under control, while I saw that his were getting worse. When Valtteri pitted I made sure to push as hard as I could. On this circuit, which is one of the best in the world, it is a privilege to win, in Italy, a country loved by all."