Hamilton eyes Mercedes fight as Ferrari prepares for Monza showdown

Asked during the drivers' parade about his objective for today's race, the seven-time world champion made it clear that Ferrari will give everything in its bid to take the fight to Mercedes: "I think it's definitely a challenging battle we have ahead of us. But we're going to give it everything we've got and I hope that we can compete with Mercedes."

Speaking about what it has meant to experience a week like this as a Ferrari driver, Hamilton highlighted just how intense the build-up to the Italian Grand Prix has been, while also praising the extraordinary support from the tifosi.

Hamilton believes having both Ferraris in contention could give the team an opportunity to work together against the Mercedes. However, he acknowledged that Russell has the fastest car at his disposal and pointed out that Ferrari is still lacking performance on the straights.

Heading into the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton also faces a significant deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the standings. With 59 points to make up at this stage of the season and Mercedes continuing to set the benchmark for outright speed, Hamilton stressed the importance of teamwork.

However, the seven-time world champion remains uncertain over whether the team's approach could change as the season progresses, insisting that his focus remains on arriving at each race and delivering the best possible performance.