"Sorry I couldn’t get further up": Lewis Hamilton reacts to finishing the F1 Italian GP in P6 behind George Russell

Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts concluding the Italian GP in P6. The Ferrari driver who started from P10, improved four places as he finished the race behind George Russell and ahead of Alex Albon.

Hamilton had formidable qualifying on Saturday as he set himself in P5. He was over three tenths slower than Max Verstappen, the pole sitter for the race at Monza. However, he had to start his race from P10 as he had a five-place grid penalty he incurred at Zandvoort.

Despite starting from P10 at Ferrari's home race, the British driver improved to P6 as, Verstappen won the race ahead of the McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. As he finished the race in P6, here's what he said on the team radio:

"Great job this weekend guys. Solid result. Sorry, I couldn’t get further up, but I gave it everything. Grazie a tutti a Tifosi, grazie! Mega effort in the pit stops guys. I really appreciate all your hard work.”

However, Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, started from P4 and finished the race in the same position. Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, and Isack Hadjar came home in P8, P9, and P10, respectively.

Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts after Italian GP: "Felt on top"

Lewis Hamilton let his feelings known following the Italian GP. Speaking to the media in the post-race interview, here's what the seven-time world champion said:

Lewis Hamilton of Team Scuderia Ferrari HP, driving the Ferrari SF-25 during the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d'Italia 2025, in Monza, Italy - Source: Getty Images

"I definitely felt on top of it today. I was really happy with it. Probably in hindsight we should have tried to undercut [George], going long didnt pay off but that's something we will learn from." (Via Sky Sports F1)

At the end of 16 races and three Sprints, Lewis Hamilton is in P6 of the Drivers' Championship with 117 points. His teammate, Charles Leclerc is in P5 with 163 points. Ferrari are in P2 in the Constructors' Championship with 280 points, while McLaren is leading the championship with 617 points.

Oscar Piastri is leading the Drivers' Championship with 324 points, and has 31 points advantage over his teammate, Lando Norris. Reigning champion, Max Verstappen is in P3 with 230 points.

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas is a passionate motorsport journalist for Sportskeeda, with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. He has over nine years of experience in the field and over 11000 published articles on the internet.

As a dedicated follower of motorsport, Sabyasachi watches events closely, ensuring his reports are thorough and are supported by reputable sources. He is inspired by Max Verstappen’s fearless attitude and has a dream of attending the Indian GP if it ever returns to the calendar. An ardent F1 fan, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa and is now enjoying Verstappen's journey.

Apart from F1, he is a big-time NASCAR and football (soccer, he means) fan. Sabyasachi supports Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and the Spanish club, Real Madrid.

He was a sub-junior level footballer and won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak by nature, Sabyasachi likes to try different cuisines and learn about new cultures. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys geopolitics, astronomy, and playing with Khushi & Ubbu - his adorable beagles.

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Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas