Ferrari experienced a weekend of contrasting emotions and mixed conclusions in Canada. On one hand, the second-place finish secured by Lewis Hamilton confirmed the strong underlying foundations of the Ferrari SF-26 and highlighted the excellent work carried out by the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who prepared his setup without relying on the simulator at a circuit that was theoretically expected to expose some of Ferrari’s most significant weaknesses. On the other hand, the Scuderia unexpectedly found itself battling a Red Bull that had remained comfortably behind throughout most of the weekend. All of this happened in a race where McLaren, expected by many observers to be one of the leading contenders, was largely absent from the fight at the front.
The result leaves Ferrari with plenty of reasons for optimism but also several important questions that still need answering. The Canadian Grand Prix provided valuable information about the strengths and limitations of the SF-26, offering engineers and drivers a clearer picture of where the team currently stands in the competitive hierarchy of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Ferrari’s Canadian result provides valuable insights
In light of the outcome in Montreal, it is worth taking a closer and more detailed look at Ferrari’s current limitations as well as the encouraging progress that has been made. Several interesting conclusions can already be drawn from the preparation phase leading up to the race weekend.
As has been discussed repeatedly in recent weeks, Lewis Hamilton chose not to use Ferrari’s simulator because of concerns regarding data correlation. The British driver has openly suggested that the virtual tools may not currently be providing a fully accurate representation of what the drivers experience on track. Nevertheless, Ferrari continued to rely on its simulation programmes and virtual development tools when defining the initial setup direction for Charles Leclerc.
Given the limitations of the current technical package, Ferrari managed to optimise its work with Lewis Hamilton as effectively as possible. Expectations heading into the weekend were not particularly high. The combination of relatively cool temperatures and long straights suggested that Montreal could be a difficult venue for the SF-26. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur later admitted after the race that the Italian side had not expected to be in such a competitive position at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Ferrari’s biggest weakness remains straight-line speed, a limitation that has been visible on multiple occasions during the season. Fortunately for the Italian team, that issue was successfully managed throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The Ferrari SF-26 continues to demonstrate excellent balance, strong mechanical grip and impressive performance through medium- and low-speed corners. However, rival teams are gradually closing the gap in those areas, making continued development of the car increasingly important as the season progresses.
While Ferrari’s cornering strengths remain evident, maintaining that advantage will require constant improvement. The competition is evolving rapidly, and the margins at the front of the Formula 1 grid continue to shrink with every passing race weekend.
The issues that emerged during the Canadian Grand Prix
A closer examination of the opening stint on the soft tyres reveals several interesting details about the Maranello team’s performance profile. During the early laps, Lewis Hamilton was able to stay close to the two Mercedes cars, losing only a few tenths of a second per lap. At that stage of the race, the Ferrari SF-26 appeared to be operating within its ideal thermal window, allowing Lewis Hamilton to extract a high level of performance.
As the stint progressed, however, the Ferrari gradually drifted away from that optimal operating range. This change allowed Max Verstappen to close in and begin applying pressure. The exact reasons behind this shift remain difficult to determine from the outside, but Lewis Hamilton reported significant understeer over team radio. Such complaints typically indicate growing difficulties in maintaining adequate front tyre temperatures.
Once that happened, Max Verstappen was able to launch his decisive attack. The Red Bull driver benefited not only from reduced front tyre cooling issues but also from more efficient management of the hybrid system during that specific phase of the race. These small differences can have a major impact in modern Formula 1, particularly when the leading cars are separated by only a few tenths of a second.
The second stint told a completely different story. With less fuel onboard and the medium tyres fitted, Lewis Hamilton was able to activate the tyres almost immediately and begin pushing from the opening laps of the stint. Unlike in the first phase of the race, he managed to keep the Ferrari SF-26 inside its optimal operating window for a prolonged period.
That represents an extremely encouraging sign for Ferrari. One of the recurring challenges faced by the team in recent seasons has been maintaining the car within its ideal performance window over long runs. In Canada, that weakness appeared far less evident than in previous events.
The consistency displayed by Lewis Hamilton during this phase of the race was one of the most positive aspects of Ferrari’s entire weekend. It demonstrated that when the car is correctly balanced and operating in the right conditions, the SF-26 possesses the pace required to compete at the front of the field.
Importantly, Lewis Hamilton’s pace was not an isolated case. Charles Leclerc also displayed respectable race speed during portions of the Grand Prix, managing to overtake Isack Hadjar despite struggling with confidence in the car throughout the weekend. Although Charles Leclerc never appeared fully comfortable, his ability to recover positions highlighted the underlying competitiveness of the package.
Ferrari working to resolve simulator correlation concerns
Overall, Charles Leclerc suffered from a lack of pace and confidence throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The Monegasque driver himself provided the clearest explanation after the race, admitting over team radio that he simply never felt comfortable with the Ferrari SF-26.
Later, while speaking to the media, Charles Leclerc described the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix as one of the most difficult and frustrating weekends of his Ferrari career. Such comments carry particular weight given the Monegasque’s long experience with the Scuderia and his reputation for extracting performance even under challenging circumstances.
Frédéric Vasseur subsequently explained that Charles Leclerc never found the confidence he needed around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Ferrari driver experienced several significant scares during the race, incidents that were clearly visible from the onboard footage and highlighted his ongoing struggle to trust the behaviour of the car.
History has often shown that one of the biggest challenges in Montreal is simply reaching the chequered flag. The walls are always close, mistakes are heavily punished and confidence is essential. Looking at how demanding the race proved to be for several drivers throughout the field, it becomes easy to understand why Montreal remains one of the most challenging events on the Formula 1 calendar.
Attention now turns to Monaco, where Ferrari hopes to arrive with a clearer understanding of the SF-26 and a more complete picture of the issues encountered in Canada. According to information gathered by our editorial team, Ferrari engineers are working intensively at Maranello to address what they believe may be misleading simulator data.
The team is currently comparing Lewis Hamilton’s extensive track data with the information gathered by Charles Leclerc during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in an effort to identify the source of the discrepancy. This process is considered particularly important because Lewis Hamilton’s decision to prepare without simulator support provided Ferrari with a unique set of comparison data.
This work could prove extremely significant for the remainder of the season. If Ferrari succeeds in solving the correlation issue between the simulator and real-world track conditions, the team may unlock a much deeper understanding of the Ferrari SF-26 and accelerate future development.
Despite the well-known power unit deficit that continues to affect performance on circuits with long straights, the car’s fundamental platform remains highly competitive. The balance, cornering performance and tyre management displayed at various stages of the Canadian Grand Prix suggest that the SF-26 possesses a very strong technical foundation.
Should the Maranello team also manage to address its engine shortfall in the coming months, the Scuderia could take another important step forward and strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive 2026 Formula 1 season. Solving the simulator correlation issues while continuing to improve power unit performance could provide Ferrari with the tools needed to challenge more consistently at the front of the grid and fully exploit the considerable potential that still appears to be hidden within the SF-26.
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