Lewis Hamilton has urged Ferrari to keep applying pressure on Kimi Antonelli as the Formula 1 championship battle resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix.
With 12 races remaining, the seven-time world champion believes Ferrari can close the gap to Mercedes and mount a serious challenge for the title.
As the championship enters a crucial stage, Hamilton knows Ferrari must maximise every opportunity if he is to reduce Antonelli’s advantage and keep his title hopes alive.
Antonelli heads into the Dutch Grand Prix with a 50-point lead over Hamilton at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
Hamilton calls for pressure on championship leader
While Hamilton faces an uphill battle to overhaul the Mercedes driver, he was quick to recognise Antonelli’s impressive performances during the opening half of the season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton said: “There are pros and cons to it. He’s obviously very fast. He’s doing an amazing job.
“When you are 19 you don’t really have much else going on in your life really, so you don’t have many other pressures.
“I remember when I was that age and things are relatively easier in life, I would say.
“Nonetheless, it’s not saying he hasn’t still got a hard job ahead of him, but he’s been doing great.”
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No obvious weaknesses
Despite Antonelli’s strong form, Hamilton does not believe the championship leader has shown any obvious weaknesses this season.
Instead, the Ferrari driver believes his team must focus on maintaining the pressure throughout the second half of the campaign.
Hamilton said: “I’m not really looking at any weaknesses because I don’t think he has shown any this season. I think we’ve got to just work hard to just continue to apply the pressure.”
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Ferrari looking to close the gap
Ferrari have struggled to consistently match Mercedes’ pace during the opening 11 rounds, but Hamilton is hopeful that the team’s latest development work can help close the gap.
The Ferrari driver praised the efforts being made behind the scenes and revealed that the team have introduced its first development step of the weekend at Zandvoort.
Hamilton said: “Hopefully we are going to continue to progress in development.
“The team are working really hard.
“We’ve got our first little step this weekend which I’m really grateful for because they are under a huge amount of pressure to continue to bring parts, as every team is.”
Hamilton believes Ferrari are moving in the right direction, although he acknowledged the strength of the competition at the front of the grid.
The seven-time world champion said: “But we are going in the right direction with the car.
“Obviously, Mercedes are still the leaders. McLaren are now up in there and obviously Red Bull are now super quick so there are four teams that are all very close.”
With Ferrari still chasing Mercedes on performance, Hamilton insists his focus remains on helping the team make progress rather than becoming distracted by the championship deficit.
Hamilton said: “But we just focus on doing our job the best we can. I think we can do a better job in the second half, so that’s our goal.”
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Hamilton targeting first Dutch GP victory
The Dutch Grand Prix offers Hamilton another opportunity to claim a victory at one of the few circuits where he has yet to stand on the top step of the podium.
Hamilton finished second when the Dutch GP returned to the calendar in 2021 but has never won at Zandvoort.
With the circuit set to leave the F1 calendar after this weekend, the Ferrari driver is determined to make his final opportunity count.
Hamilton said: “I’ve won at pretty much all the other tracks, but I don’t think I’ve won here before, so I definitely want to change that. I’m massively driven.”
Hamilton also praised the atmosphere at Zandvoort, with Dutch fans expected to provide another passionate backdrop for the weekend and plenty of support for home favourite Max Verstappen.
Hamilton added: “It’s just such an incredible circuit, great crowd here, very special particularly for Max as he comes here and has the incredible support through the weekend.
“They really create the atmosphere.”
For Hamilton, the weekend is about more than simply chasing his first victory at Zandvoort.
Ferrari must also use the opportunity to demonstrate whether its latest developments can bring the team closer to Mercedes and give the seven-time champion a stronger platform for the title fight.
Hamilton said: “It’s a track I’ve yet to really truly conquer in Formula 1, so it’s definitely something I want to try to do this weekend.”
With 12 rounds remaining, Hamilton faces a significant challenge to overturn Antonelli’s 50-point advantage.
However, if Ferrari can close the performance gap and Hamilton can convert that progress into victories, the championship battle could become increasingly competitive as the season progresses.
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Michael Davey 
SportJustSport writers