Hamilton's classy Ferrari gesture draws Schumacher comparison

Lewis Hamilton has been compared to Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher by a Formula 1 world champion after making a classy gesture during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

The former Mercedes star enjoyed his best race in red on Sunday afternoon, storming to a fourth-place finish in front of the tifosi having started the day 12th on the grid.

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But it wasn't his stellar performance behind the wheel which caught the attention of 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, but rather his efforts to learn Italian.

Hamilton endears himself to Ferrari fans

Hamilton briefly addressed the home crowd at Imola in their native tongue during the pre-race driver parade, and shared more words for his Italian fans on team radio after the main event.

A clearly impressed Villeneuve told Sky Sports: “It’s tough, everyone speaking English!

"But seriously, I don’t remember Schumacher doing that, making that effort, going out there.

"Seb [Vettel] did, but after how many races? His seventh race, and he’s already saying things in Italian. His accent wasn’t too bad!”

Hamilton - who was encouraged by FIA chief Stefano Domenicali to get to grips with the language - has been open in expressing his gratitude to his Italian supporters as he tried to repay them with improved results on the track.

The 40-year-old has endured a challenging start to life at the Scuderia since making the off-season switch from the Silver Arrows, frequently cutting a dejected figure on race weekends.

And his demeanour has prompted some pundits to suggest that he may look to cut his Ferrari stay short if he is unable to turn his fortunes around.

But he now heads to this weekend's Monaco GP with renewed confidence having moved up to sixth in the drivers' standings and to within just eight points of team-mate Charles Leclerc.

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