LEWIS Hamilton was booed by some sections of the F1 support yesterday as he collected his trophy after winning the Italian Grand Prix.

The home crowd were unhappy at seeing the Briton move into the lead in the drivers’ championship, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel – his main title rival – slipping to second after a third-place finish.

Despite the reception of the Ferrari supporters in attendance, Hamilton praised the locals.

“You know what, I love it here in Italy and I love the passion of the fans,” Hamilton said.

“The Ferrari fans are fantastic and this energy is like nowhere else we get to see apart from maybe Silverstone. I respect it, appreciate it and I am happy.

“We did a great job this weekend, and we owe it to the team. Mercedes power is definitely better than Ferrari power, so it worked. The last two races have been incredibly strong,” added Hamilton. “We’ve just gone from strength to strength.

“It’s still close and a long way to go. Ferrari should be quick at the next circuit with the extra downforce they can put on their car so the fight continues.

“Ferrari might be a little bit quicker when we get to the tracks where you can add downforce. It will continue to be really close.”

Yesterday’s victory was all part of Hamilton’s plan, with the Briton predicting on Friday that he and his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas would secure a one-two race finish on the weekend that Ferrari celebrated the company’s 70th anniversary. A victory the pair revelled in.

“It was really special driving around with Valtteri after the chequered flag,” said Hamilton. “To be on Ferrari’s turf and get the one-two, to drive around at the end showed the solidarity.”