The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix offered Ferrari some long-awaited positive signs, mainly thanks to Lewis Hamilton, who secured his best result since joining the Maranello team. However, despite Ferrari’s improved performance, Mercedes continues to worry the entire Formula 1 paddock as Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed his fourth consecutive victory and further extended his lead in the championship standings.
In the latest episode of A Ruote Ferme, the focus turned to Ferrari’s progress, Mercedes’ dominance, Max Verstappen’s difficult weekend and the broader future of Formula 1.
Ferrari shows progress as Lewis Hamilton reignites optimism
The Canadian Grand Prix delivered encouraging signals for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton finished second after a solid and aggressive race managed with all the experience expected from a seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
For Lewis Hamilton, it marked his best result since arriving at Ferrari and provided the Italian team with an important morale boost after several difficult weekends earlier in the season.
The SF-26 particularly impressed with its management of the medium tyres, allowing Lewis Hamilton to maintain a competitive pace until the closing laps. The British driver eventually managed to overtake Max Verstappen in the fight for the podium after showing remarkably strong speed on the yellow compound.
The situation was quite different on the other side of the Ferrari garage. Charles Leclerc appeared less comfortable throughout the entire Montreal weekend, struggling with car balance and tyre management issues.
Despite benefiting from a few favourable race situations, Charles Leclerc could only finish fourth and never seemed fully capable of matching the pace shown by Lewis Hamilton during the decisive phases of the Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes continue to dominate Formula 1
Despite Ferrari’s progress, the real story of the weekend was once again Mercedes. Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured his fourth consecutive Formula 1 victory, becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to win his first four races in succession.
The young Italian talent controlled the race brilliantly following George Russell’s retirement, which came while the two Mercedes drivers were involved in one of the most spectacular battles seen so far this season.
With this latest success, Andrea Kimi Antonelli now extends his championship advantage to 43 points over his teammate while further strengthening his position at the top of the Formula 1 standings.
Mercedes also continues to demonstrate a clear advantage in terms of power unit performance and energy management, areas where rival teams still appear unable to close the gap.
Ferrari still worried about the Mercedes engine advantage
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s podium finish, Ferrari leaves Montreal with mixed emotions. There is a growing feeling inside the paddock that the final result was also influenced by McLaren’s struggles and George Russell’s retirement rather than pure Ferrari superiority.
One of the main discussion points remains the estimated engine deficit Ferrari still faces compared to Mercedes. Several Formula 1 insiders continue to suggest the gap could be worth around 30 horsepower, a difference that became particularly visible on the long straights of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.
For this reason, attention is increasingly shifting toward the possible introduction of ADUO, the performance recovery mechanism that could allow trailing manufacturers to close part of the technical gap during the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen lights up Montreal
One of the standout moments of the Canadian Grand Prix was undoubtedly the late-race battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver managed to recover several seconds in the closing stages while showing impressive pace, especially on the medium tyres.
The decisive overtake brought back memories of some of Formula 1’s greatest duels from previous years and injected excitement into a championship that still divides fans and drivers because of the current hybrid regulations.
Can Monaco change the balance?
The next race in Monaco could represent an important opportunity for Ferrari. The characteristics of the Monte Carlo circuit, which depends less on outright engine power and places greater emphasis on aerodynamic grip and mechanical balance, may suit the SF-26 far better than Montreal did.
Even so, one certainty emerged once again after the Canadian Grand Prix: Mercedes is currently the clear benchmark of Formula 1 in 2026, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli increasingly looks like the driver everyone else must beat.
Final analysis
The Canadian Grand Prix confirmed two major themes of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Ferrari is undoubtedly improving, particularly with Lewis Hamilton, but Mercedes still appears to be operating in a category of its own.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continues to impress with his speed, maturity and consistency, while Ferrari now faces a crucial question: will future upgrades be enough to reopen the championship fight, or is Mercedes already too far ahead?
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