Hamilton ready to level-up and keep chasing Antonelli

Lewis Hamilton is determined to "level up" and chase down the impressive Kimi Antonelli, who dominated the Monaco Grand Prix. Antonelli, a 19-year-old prodigy, secured his fifth consecutive win, solidifying his position as the championship leader. Hamilton, meanwhile, achieved his second successive runner-up finish, signaling a potential resurgence in his performance with Ferrari.

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He's doing a phenomenal job. He's got an amazing team around him with (Race Engineer) Bono (Peter Bonnington) and (team principal) Toto (Wolff) and the whole team. And then for him in this moment to be delivering on the level that he's delivering, it's awesome to see.

Hamilton praised Antonelli's "phenomenal job," acknowledging the strong support system around the young driver. "He's got an amazing team around him," Hamilton stated, adding that Antonelli's current performance "encourages everybody wanting to level up." The seven-time champion expressed his eagerness to challenge Antonelli for the remainder of the season, drawing parallels to his own early career.

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It just encourages me to want to level up and I think encourages everybody wanting to level up. He's only 19, so just imagine what the future holds for him. But I'm going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year. It's a real privilege to witness it. Very much reminds me of me when I was back in 2007.

Despite not winning his first race for Ferrari, Hamilton's second-place finish in Monaco was a significant achievement. The race saw a red flag late on, which offered a brief opportunity to challenge for the lead. Hamilton also equaled Ayrton Senna's record of eight podiums at the principality, a feat he described as "very cool."

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To get another second place is such a great feeling, especially in Monaco, under the trickiest conditions. Just to be in his presence, in the sense of the eight podiums, is very cool. I still remember being young and watching Ayrton, and still today he's my favourite driver.