Ferrari telemetry analysis reveals hidden truths behind Hamilton and Leclerc’s Canadian GP pace. Ferrari’s Canadian GP data reveals encouraging trend for Lewis Hamilton.

The latest telemetry and race pace analysis from the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix paints a very clear picture: Mercedes currently holds the benchmark package in Formula 1. However, beneath the silver dominance, Ferrari leaves Montreal with several encouraging signs — especially on Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage.

Data collected throughout the race highlights the impressive superiority of the Mercedes W17, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli producing the fastest overall race pace despite spending much of the Grand Prix battling George Russell and managing his tyres during the closing stages.

Yet Ferrari’s performance, particularly through Lewis Hamilton, suggests the Scuderia may finally be building a more competitive foundation for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Mercedes operating on another level in Montreal

According to the telemetry analysis, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was more than two tenths of a second per lap faster than the next-best car during the Canadian Grand Prix. What makes the Italian’s pace even more impressive is the context surrounding the performance.

Antonelli spent large portions of the race fighting directly with teammate George Russell and did not need to push flat-out during the final phase of the Grand Prix. Even so, his average pace remained untouchable for the rest of the field.

Mercedes’ latest upgrade package appears to have transformed the W17 into the current reference car on race pace, especially on circuits where traction and braking stability play a crucial role.

The Brackley-based team also appears to have solved one of its biggest weaknesses from earlier in the season: race starts. Both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli launched strongly throughout the Montreal weekend, allowing Mercedes to fully exploit the raw pace advantage of the W17.

Lewis Hamilton delivers one of Ferrari’s strongest race pace performances of 2026

Although Ferrari still appears unable to fully challenge Mercedes over a race distance, Lewis Hamilton’s performance in Canada was extremely encouraging from a pure pace perspective.

The telemetry data shows Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen producing nearly identical race pace averages throughout the Grand Prix, both finishing approximately two tenths per lap behind the dominant Mercedes benchmark.

For Ferrari, this represents one of the clearest signs yet that the SF-26 is becoming increasingly compatible with Lewis Hamilton’s driving style.

The seven-time world champion looked comfortable throughout the weekend in Montreal, attacking corners aggressively and managing tyre degradation much more effectively than earlier in the season.

The improved relationship with Ferrari engineer Carlo Santi also appears to be paying visible dividends, with the British driver now operating in a far calmer and more stable technical environment compared to the difficult first months of his Ferrari career.

While outright engine performance still limits Ferrari on power-sensitive circuits, Lewis Hamilton’s race pace suggests the underlying aero-mechanical platform of the SF-26 may be stronger than the final results sometimes indicate.

Charles Leclerc’s numbers require additional context

At first glance, Charles Leclerc’s telemetry figures appear less impressive than Lewis Hamilton’s. The Monegasque driver averaged approximately 0.36 seconds per lap slower than his teammate during the Canadian Grand Prix.

However, the raw numbers alone do not tell the complete story.

Charles Leclerc completed the race using one fewer tyre set compared to several direct rivals, forcing Ferrari into a more aggressive tyre management scenario. Despite that disadvantage, the Ferrari driver still managed to produce lap times very close to those of Isack Hadjar.

Considering the strategic limitations, Charles Leclerc’s overall pace remains relatively competitive and confirms that Ferrari extracted solid performance from both sides of the garage under different race conditions.

The telemetry also reinforces an increasingly important trend within Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton currently appears more comfortable extracting maximum pace from the SF-26 over a full race distance, while Charles Leclerc is still occasionally struggling to find the same consistency across tyre stints.

Red Bull and Ferrari currently closest to Mercedes

The broader race pace analysis suggests Formula 1’s competitive hierarchy is beginning to stabilise after the opening phase of the 2026 season.

2026 Canadian Grand Prix race pace data

Mercedes clearly leads the field at the moment, while Red Bull and Ferrari appear grouped together as the second-fastest forces, averaging roughly two tenths of a second per lap behind the Silver Arrows.

Behind the top three teams, Alpine emerged as one of the surprise performers in Montreal. Franco Colapinto delivered particularly impressive race pace, helping Alpine establish itself as the fourth-best package overall during the weekend. Williams and Racing Bulls also showed respectable midfield pace, while Haas and Audi remained closely matched slightly further back.

McLaren’s true pace remains difficult to evaluate accurately because Oscar Piastri spent large portions of the race trapped in traffic and on compromised tyre strategies.

Cadillac and Aston Martin struggle badly

At the opposite end of the field, both Cadillac and Aston Martin endured an extremely difficult Canadian Grand Prix. The telemetry data suggests both teams were operating nearly four seconds per lap slower than the race leaders despite multiple pit stops and aggressive tyre strategies.

For Aston Martin in particular, the data further highlights the enormous challenges currently facing the Honda power unit project ahead of the anticipated ADUO concessions later this season.

Ferrari leaves Canada with reasons for optimism

Even if Mercedes currently appears to possess the strongest overall package in Formula 1, Ferrari leaves Montreal with several important positives.

Lewis Hamilton’s pace relative to Max Verstappen represents perhaps the clearest indication yet that Ferrari’s operational changes are beginning to produce results. The SF-26 may still lack outright power compared to Mercedes, but the car now looks considerably more stable, predictable and exploitable over race distances.

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc’s more difficult weekend should not completely overshadow the broader progress Ferrari has shown in recent races. The telemetry confirms that the Scuderia remains firmly in the fight behind Mercedes — and if Ferrari can continue improving both reliability and power unit performance, the gap at the front may not remain this large for the entire season.