Hamilton: The Ferrari absorbs the curbs better than the Mercedes

(Motorsport-Total.com) - At the end of the day, Lewis Hamilton received a cold shower in the form of a three-place grid penalty for holding up Max Verstappen in qualifying. It's a bitter pill to swallow, considering starting position is especially important in Monaco – and even more so, considering Hamilton actually had a strong starting position with fourth place.

Even before the stewards' verdict arrived that evening, the Briton was in good spirits after his qualifying impressions: "I'm really enjoying driving this car here and I know better what to expect now," said Hamilton, who also saw his upward trend from the last race in Imola confirmed on Saturday: "Definitely, I'm getting closer step by step. The last race was already a good step forward, and this weekend I feel a much stronger connection to the car."

The record world champion never tires of emphasizing: "It's a completely different car than the one I've driven for the past twelve years—but one that I really enjoy. Of course, Charles has had this car and the way it's set up here under control for six years—and he knows this track like the back of his hand."

Hamilton asserts: Despite "steep learning curve" a lot of fun

For him, Saturday was "a steep learning curve" in comparison, "but I'm happy with how I fought back after the accident," Hamilton said, referring to his crash in the third practice session. In principle, the Ferrari star has been "struggling with the handling" since the race in China: "I don't think it's just the car's height—neither compared to Imola nor here."

Reflecting on the differences between his new company car and the Mercedes he's been used to for over a decade, the record world champion adds: "It's mainly down to the cornering characteristics—the handling, the balance, the handling over bumps—all of that is very different. The car has a softer setup."

The advantage in Monaco is: "It handles the curbs better, for example." Hamilton explains: "At Mercedes, we ran extremely stiff and low to achieve maximum downforce. But here everything is different: toe, camber, even the engine behavior. Even the engine braking is new to me; I've never used it here before. You have to get used to all these components first. But I'm really enjoying it."

"Definitely better than last year's crap"

However, the Briton isn't yet ready to predict whether Hamilton and his colleagues will enjoy the new mandatory pit stop rule at Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix. However, he does believe: "I think two stops are definitely better than last year's crap. Back then, the safety car came out on lap two, and after that, everyone drove over 70 laps on just one set of tires - the race was completely uneventful."

Hamilton admitted: "With two stops, it becomes more of a lottery - but that's exactly what you need on a track where you can hardly overtake. I'm excited to see how it develops and have opted for two sets of hard tires, while Charles opted for two mediums. I hope that gives me an advantage," said the Ferrari driver, who expects "to have more options."

At the same time, Hamilton is aware: "The two McLarens have two tough sets to go." And – not least because of the penalty against the Ferrari driver – they are now starting well ahead of him...