WHAT A DIFFERENCE TWO YEARS CAN MAKE….SEE MORE IN COMMENT

🥹🇮🇹 WHAT A DIFFERENCE TWO YEARS CAN MAKE….SEE MORE IN COMMENT

Two years ago Lewis Hamilton was fighting for scraps in a difficult Mercedes, watching Ferrari and Red Bull dominate from the midfield. Fast forward to September 2026 and the 41-year-old is now wearing scarlet, starting from the second row at Monza and calling Ferrari “home.” After qualifying P5 at the Italian GP, Hamilton said: “My mom’s here. I don’t think she’s been to Monza, and certainly not (while I was) with Ferrari. I wanted her to experience this and bring any lucky dust she can bring.” The shift from silver to red, from doubting podiums to fighting for wins at the ‘Temple of Speed’, sums up how much has changed for the seven-time champion.

     The difference isn’t just the overalls. In 2024 Hamilton left Mercedes after years of bouncing and no wins. In 2026 he’s already taken a win for Ferrari earlier in the season in Barcelona and is 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli with races to go. But Monza also showed the growing pains. Ferrari fumbled qualifying execution, leaving Hamilton without a tow in Q3 and admitting “we didn’t execute that well”. Then on lap 1 he was forced wide by teammate Charles Leclerc and dropped to 11th, before Leclerc himself crashed out at Parabolica on lap 2 and triggered a red flag. Two years ago Hamilton would have taken a P5 start at Monza. Now, in red, he expects more.

   What’s changed most is the expectation. At Mercedes the goal was survival. At Ferrari it’s championships. Hamilton has brought his family into it too — introducing mum Carmen to Kim Kardashian at Monza weekend and calling for “team work” as Ferrari chase their first title since 2008. “I’m here to win and I really believe that this team can win,” he said after Zandvoort. The Tifosi have embraced him instantly, and even with the strategy frustrations and Leclerc clash, the atmosphere around Hamilton at Monza in 2026 feels worlds away from the quiet Mercedes garage of 2024. Two years, one iconic switch, and a whole new fight.