Lewis Hamilton looked energised and genuinely encouraged after Friday’s action in Montreal, delivering one of his strongest performances since joining Ferrari at one of his most successful circuits. The seven-time world champion, who has won seven times at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, finished Sprint qualifying in fifth place, just behind the two McLarens but ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
The final result may not tell the full story. Without a small mistake on his final attempt, Lewis Hamilton could likely have secured a place directly behind the two Mercedes drivers, who locked out the front row for the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint.
Still, the British driver was clearly satisfied with the progress made, particularly with the setup direction Ferrari chose for the SF-26. Hamilton also pointed to his decision to skip simulator work ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix as a move that appears to have paid off.
Lewis Hamilton: “My best qualifying session in a long time”
Lewis Hamilton arrived for post-session interviews in a positive mood and with a smile on his face.
“It was probably the best qualifying session I’ve had in a long time,” the Briton said. “Really great work with the engineers and with the setup changes. The car felt fantastic right from free practice, and we only made small adjustments heading into qualifying.”
The Ferrari driver topped SQ1 and finished second in SQ2, only to lose ground in the final segment when the field switched to Soft tyres.
“SQ1 and SQ2 were going really well,” he added. “I don’t know why the others were able to turn the engine up a bit more in SQ3, I really don’t know, but I’m just happy to be in the fight. I had a lot of fun out there.”
The simulator question
After discussing at length during Thursday’s press conference why he had chosen not to use the simulator in preparation for the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton returned to the topic after receiving positive feedback from the track.
“Also, not using the simulator… I think this has been the best feeling I’ve had all year,” Hamilton explained. “I think this is the way forward for me.”
Going into more detail about Ferrari’s preparation work over the past two weeks, the British driver outlined the process that led to the improved performance.
“We worked really hard analysing the data over the last two weeks, and I found that much more beneficial because it allowed me to focus on training without distractions,” Hamilton said. “The second part was analysing driving stability, corner balance, and mechanical balance, and I chose a setup we had never used before.”
“That transformed the car for me. I hope it works well for the rest of the weekend.”
For Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s comments offer one of the clearest indications yet that the team may finally be moving toward a setup direction that better suits his driving style—something that could prove significant not only for the remainder of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, but for the broader 2026 Formula 1 campaign as well.
Extracting maximum performance from these fresh technical upgrades while managing tire preparation will remain the defining challenge for the front-runners in Montreal. As the grid prepares for the upcoming race sessions, fine-tuning these mechanical variables will be essential to transforming front-row potential into a definitive podium.
Leave a Reply