Lewis Hamilton says he sometimes feels like he has to remind people who he is after a marked improvement in form during his second season with Ferrari.
After failing to score a single podium last year, Hamilton has reached the rostrum in half of the races so far this season. His second place in Monaco moved him ahead of George Russell into second in the drivers’ championship.
The seven-time world champion says some observers have been slow to recognise his resurgence.
“I’m grateful to have moved forwards because we started third and to get to second is awesome,” he said after Sunday’s race. “To have two second places, especially — and considering the strong race in Montreal — people were like, ‘Yeah, but he’s quick there’. I feel like I’m in a period where I’m having to remind people of who I am.
“My fans last year were telling me to remember who I am, and now I’m having to show up each weekend and try to do that.”
Hamilton has not been as high as second in the standings since the end of 2021. He praised Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, who missed part of the recent event for medical reasons, for making the changes Hamilton had been asking for that helped improve his competitiveness.
“I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that,” Hamilton added. “I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred.
“Fred has been awesome in supporting me. Last year was really tough for both of us and I’d been asking for certain changes — he delivered those, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them.
“It’s still very early in the season, so we just have to keep chasing. It’s actually easier to chase than it is to defend, I would say, in life. While Mercedes remain very quick and are an amazing team, we’ll keep pushing and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.”
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