Juan Pablo Montoya has suggested that Ferrari have begun to move away from their traditional engineering philosophy in order to better accommodate Lewis Hamilton, following the British driver’s strongest weekend yet with the Scuderia at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton secured a standout second-place finish in Montreal, marking his best result so far since joining Ferrari. Despite only qualifying on the third row for both the Sprint session and the main race, Lewis Hamilton delivered one of the most competitive performances of his Ferrari career to date, ultimately finishing comfortably ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc by more than 30 seconds.
The performance was widely seen as a breakthrough moment in Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation to Ferrari machinery, particularly in terms of race execution, tyre management and overall confidence with the SF-26 platform.
Juan Pablo Montoya highlights engineering shift around Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Juan Pablo Montoya explained that Lewis Hamilton is now operating in a far more supportive technical environment at Ferrari, following internal changes within the engineering structure. According to Juan Pablo Montoya, this has allowed Lewis Hamilton to influence setup direction more freely, rather than being forced to conform to a rigid pre-established philosophy.
Lewis Hamilton’s early phase at Ferrari reportedly included some frustration with car behaviour and communication with his previous race engineer Riccardo Adami, a partnership that ended after his first season as Ferrari reassigned personnel within the team.
Ferrari initially experimented with Carlo Santi, previously associated with Kimi Räikkönen, in an interim engineering role, before planning a longer-term solution involving Cedric Grosjean, a high-profile hire from McLaren, as a potential permanent replacement structure for Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage.
However, Juan Pablo Montoya suggested that Lewis Hamilton does not want further disruption, and that the current engineering group has now adjusted its approach to better suit the driving style and feedback of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
Juan Pablo Montoya reportedly stated that a significant part of Lewis Hamilton’s previous discomfort stemmed from a mismatch between driver preference and team philosophy, where Ferrari historically tended to prioritise internal setup concepts over individual driver adaptation.
He explained that the arrival of new personnel has allowed Ferrari to become more flexible, with engineers increasingly responding to Lewis Hamilton’s feedback rather than enforcing a fixed approach. According to Juan Pablo Montoya, once Lewis Hamilton feels comfortable with the car, his natural performance level becomes significantly easier to unlock.
However, Juan Pablo Montoya also warned that Ferrari must be careful to maintain balance within the team, noting that Charles Leclerc may not respond in the same way to the same setup direction. He suggested that if Ferrari tailor development too closely to Lewis Hamilton’s preferences, Charles Leclerc could find himself at a disadvantage in terms of consistency and competitiveness.
Jacques Villeneuve praises Lewis Hamilton’s aggressive Ferrari driving style
Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve also commented on Lewis Hamilton’s performance in Canada, praising the aggressive yet controlled driving style displayed at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a venue where Lewis Hamilton has historically enjoyed significant success with 11 podium finishes in 17 appearances.
While Charles Leclerc reportedly struggled with confidence and was unable to bring the tyres into the optimal operating window, Lewis Hamilton demonstrated a completely contrasting approach, extracting consistent performance throughout the race.
Jacques Villeneuve observed that Lewis Hamilton appeared highly comfortable pushing the Ferrari aggressively without degrading the tyres, describing the car as precise and responsive, and noting that Lewis Hamilton seemed to be enjoying the driving experience throughout the Grand Prix.
Ferrari momentum builds ahead of Monaco Grand Prix
Looking ahead to the next round of the Formula 1 season in Monaco, Ferrari are increasingly being considered strong contenders for victory, particularly given the unique characteristics of the street circuit, which rewards mechanical grip and driver precision over outright power.
Lewis Hamilton is therefore expected to have a realistic opportunity to challenge for his first win in Ferrari colours, although he will likely face a strong internal benchmark from teammate Charles Leclerc, who is widely regarded as one of the most competitive drivers on the Monaco street circuit.
As Ferrari continue to refine their engineering structure and adapt to the needs of both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the Canadian Grand Prix has been widely interpreted as a potential turning point in their 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
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