Ferrari continues to struggle with its hybrid system, a problem that is expected to remain until ADUO becomes available. In Sprint Qualifying, the usual performance shortfall was once again on display, leaving the Scuderia on the third row of the grid, even though the Ferrari SF-26 had looked more competitive than many had initially expected over a single lap. By the end of the Sprint race, Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, while Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fifth, in what became another frustrating reminder of Ferrari’s familiar limitations over race distance.
Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton takes a place from McLaren at the start
As usual, Ferrari’s race preparation was highly detailed and methodical, with every technical parameter carefully reviewed before the start. After all the standard checks on the car, including the power unit, transmission, hybrid system and braking components, the drivers were given their brake balance settings for both the formation lap and the race start itself. Engineers worked through the final procedures with precision, ensuring both Ferrari SF-26 cars were in the best possible operating window. Engines fired up and the installation procedures began at exactly 18:00 Italian time.
The K2 overboost mode was activated to support the practice start and evaluate grip levels in each driver’s individual grid slot. Lewis Hamilton made an excellent getaway and immediately gained a position on Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc did not launch quite as strongly from the line. It should also be noted that the first corner at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is so close and tight that it leaves little room for creativity or alternative approaches. That made Lewis Hamilton’s move around the outside into Turn 2 even more impressive, especially given the limited margin for error in such a compressed opening phase.
Both Mercedes drivers attempted to break clear early on and create an immediate buffer to the chasing pack, but were unable to do so, allowing Lando Norris to overtake Kimi Antonelli and further intensify the battle near the front. Lewis Hamilton ran fourth and tried to stay within the aerodynamic slipstream of the leading group, followed closely by Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc sat just behind with Max Verstappen applying pressure from the rear. Meanwhile, Ferrari engineers continued feeding both drivers a steady stream of instructions relating to brake settings, differential adjustments and hybrid energy deployment management.
Ferrari tries to hold off Oscar Piastri’s charge
By the halfway point of the Sprint race, the event entered a more static and controlled phase, although Oscar Piastri in the number 81 McLaren was beginning to apply increasingly serious pressure to the seven-time world champion. Despite the Canadian circuit theoretically offering overtaking opportunities thanks to its combination of long straights and heavy braking zones, the familiar DRS train effect was neutralising most attacking attempts. Mercedes could not fully pull away at the front, but equally, the chasing group remained tightly locked together with very little strategic variation possible.
As already seen during Friday’s track running, the Ferrari SF-26 displayed a slightly more oversteer-prone balance. That additional rotation helped with corner entry and initial direction changes without causing major instability on corner exit, at least in the earlier stages of the Sprint. The more significant unanswered question remained tyre management, an area where Ferrari had yet to demonstrate whether it could remain competitive over the full stint. A few laps later, Lewis Hamilton began to encounter increasing difficulties, gradually losing contact with the cars immediately ahead.
Oscar Piastri quickly sensed the opportunity. Positioned directly between the two Ferrari cars, the McLaren driver clearly appeared to have stronger and more sustainable pace at that stage of the Sprint. Lewis Hamilton recognised the growing issue and asked the Ferrari pit wall for clarification regarding where he was losing lap time. Ferrari engineer Carlo Santi explained that Turns 10 and 14 were the key weak points, where the number 44 Ferrari was not generating the required traction levels. He then recommended a specific engine and energy deployment setting designed to help Lewis Hamilton defend against an imminent attack.
Charles Leclerc was positioned right behind, carefully monitoring the battle as it developed in real time. Even though overtaking had proved significantly harder than many had predicted before the race, McLaren’s superior hybrid efficiency, supported by Mercedes power, remained a very real concern for Ferrari. With five laps remaining, Lewis Hamilton’s only realistic objective increasingly became preserving fourth place and bringing the Ferrari SF-26 home in that position rather than attempting to attack further ahead.
McLaren’s advantage returns as Ferrari fades again
Charles Leclerc was also limited in what he could realistically do. The Monegasque driver did not appear to have enough outright pace to seriously challenge the McLaren ahead, although a relatively comfortable three-second cushion over Max Verstappen allowed him to focus entirely on the battle unfolding in front of him rather than defending from behind. However, with just two laps remaining, Oscar Piastri’s pressure became relentless as the Australian committed fully to his attacking attempt.
There also appeared to have been a slight brush between Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari and the Wall of Champions at Turn 14, the final corner before the start-finish straight. Ferrari quickly confirmed over team radio that there was no structural damage to the car. Lewis Hamilton fought hard to defend his position, but ultimately had to concede to Oscar Piastri on the penultimate lap. In attempting to keep the McLaren behind, Lewis Hamilton used too much of his available electrical energy reserve and was subsequently left vulnerable down the main straight, where the Ferrari simply lacked the necessary protection.
That opened the door for Charles Leclerc to overtake his Ferrari teammate as well, although his own attempt to challenge Oscar Piastri came too late to produce any meaningful result. Time ran out, and the frustrating finale left Lewis Hamilton visibly and understandably disappointed. During the cooldown lap, Lewis Hamilton initially remained silent over team radio before eventually reporting excessive rear tyre degradation, a problem that is likely to become an even more important talking point over the full Grand Prix distance of approximately 300 kilometres.
Charles Leclerc therefore secured fifth place, with Lewis Hamilton classified in sixth after a painful late-race reversal. While Ferrari briefly appeared capable of matching McLaren during certain moments of the Sprint, the race once again exposed the superior long-run efficiency of the Woking-based team. Once again, Ferrari’s principal weaknesses were clearly identifiable: inefficient energy harvesting and deployment phases, along with ongoing rear tyre management difficulties that continue to compromise race performance.
Although the Ferrari SF-26 showed flashes of competitiveness and looked more encouraging than expected in isolated phases of the weekend, the broader competitive picture remained unchanged. Ferrari still appears to possess a fundamentally solid car, one capable of remaining in the fight over a single lap or in certain specific conditions. However, until the Scuderia resolves the familiar limitations related to hybrid energy recovery and tyre degradation, it will remain difficult to consistently challenge McLaren and Mercedes when race conditions expose those weaknesses over longer stints.
The Sprint in Montreal therefore served as another useful but frustrating benchmark for Ferrari. The raw pace is not entirely absent, and both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were able to remain within striking distance for much of the race. Yet when the decisive phase arrived, the same structural issues reappeared. That pattern has become increasingly familiar, and unless technical solutions are introduced in the near future, Ferrari risks continuing to deliver promising starts followed by difficult endings throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season.
