Lewis Hamilton has called on Ferrari to "turn up the heat" if they are to have any chance of beating Mercedes to the Formula 1 title. The seven-time champion made the rallying cry ahead of Ferrari's home race at Monza, with pressure mounting.
Hamilton sits 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli after 12 rounds. Despite only one win this season, he remains the only driver to score points in every race, thanks to his consistency amid the reliability issues that hampered Mercedes early on.
"We're in a much different place than we have been in the past," said Hamilton. "We're still second in the constructors' championship. There are a lot of positives from this first half, but we really need to turn up the heat if we're going to have any chance to beat these guys."
At the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton finished third and could have been second had the team not been slow to order Charles Leclerc aside when they were on different strategies, or had the virtual safety car not been deployed as he loomed in George Russell's mirrors. The incident sparked a sarcastic radio message from Hamilton, which he later apologized for.
"I didn't have colourful language! I don't think I said any swear words," Hamilton said. "My heart rate's 170, and I'm trying to win! But the one thing I'm really proud of the team for is that they brought an upgrade here this weekend. We are getting closer to them [Mercedes]."
He added, "For this half of the season we've been down on power, so we really need to pick up the power if we're going to be anywhere near trying to fight for them and closing the gap."
With Monza as the stage, the pressure is on Ferrari to prove they can compete consistently. Will the Maranello squad answer Hamilton's challenge? We'll find out at the Monza circuit.
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