Ferrari heads into the Canadian Grand Prix facing another demanding reality check, with Lewis Hamilton offering a candid assessment of where the Scuderia currently stands in the competitive Formula 1 pecking order. Despite encouraging development work on the SF-26, Ferrari appears to be entering the Montreal weekend on the back foot compared to key rivals Mercedes and McLaren, both of whom are expected to arrive with fresh upgrades.
As Formula 1 returns to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, expectations around Ferrari remain mixed. The Italian team has shown flashes of progress in recent rounds, particularly with aerodynamic development aimed at improving the overall efficiency and consistency of the SF-26 platform. However, the broader competitive picture remains complicated, with limitations beyond pure chassis performance continuing to shape Ferrari’s immediate prospects.
According to Lewis Hamilton’s assessment ahead of the weekend, Ferrari’s current benchmark may not be where the team would ideally want it to be, particularly with rivals continuing to develop aggressively during a crucial phase of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton outlines Ferrari’s current Formula 1 position
Speaking during Thursday’s media activities ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton suggested that Mercedes currently appears to hold the strongest position heading into Montreal, while McLaren remains highly competitive following its recent performances. Red Bull, meanwhile, also seems to have recovered significant momentum after making visible progress in recent races.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion indicated that Ferrari now finds itself in a highly competitive but uncomfortable position, fighting closely with direct rivals rather than clearly leading the chase behind the frontrunners. His comments painted the picture of a team aware of its challenges but focused on extracting everything possible from the package currently available.
Rather than becoming distracted by rival development programmes, Lewis Hamilton suggested Ferrari’s immediate focus must remain internal—maximising execution, setup, and performance extraction from its own machinery.
Ferrari still waiting for a crucial power unit breakthrough
One of Ferrari’s biggest concerns remains the power unit package. While aerodynamic and chassis developments have offered signs of improvement, the SF-26’s broader competitiveness continues to be affected by powertrain limitations compared to some of its closest competitors.
A more substantial engine-related performance step is not widely expected until later in the Formula 1 season, potentially around the Belgian Grand Prix, leaving Ferrari with the task of surviving this phase through optimisation, race execution, and incremental aerodynamic progress. This makes weekends like Montreal especially challenging. When outright power remains a limiting factor, circuit characteristics become even more important in determining competitiveness.
Why the Canadian Grand Prix may not suit Ferrari
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve presents a demanding technical profile that may expose some of Ferrari’s current weaknesses.
Montreal is a circuit built around aggressive braking zones, repeated low-speed corner exits, heavy traction demands, and long acceleration phases where efficient power delivery can make a major difference. Strong straight-line performance, energy deployment management, and rear-end traction all play critical roles in lap time.
These characteristics may naturally favour teams currently operating with stronger power unit efficiency or more complete performance packages. For Ferrari, that creates a potentially difficult equation, especially if Mercedes’ expected upgrade package delivers the gains many inside the paddock anticipate. McLaren’s recent form also suggests the Woking-based team will remain firmly in the fight at the front.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s own next meaningful update package is expected later, meaning Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc may need to rely more on precision execution than raw technical superiority this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc face a critical Ferrari test
That puts added pressure on both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to deliver a near-perfect weekend.
With the field margins remaining exceptionally tight in modern Formula 1, even small operational gains in setup, tyre preparation, qualifying execution, or race strategy can make a meaningful difference. Ferrari has repeatedly shown that while absolute pace may fluctuate, clean execution can still keep the Scuderia in the fight. For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Montreal becomes less about headline expectations and more about limiting damage while remaining ready to capitalise on any unexpected opportunities.
Ferrari may not enter the Canadian Grand Prix as the clear favourite, but Formula 1 weekends rarely unfold exactly according to pre-event projections. If rivals stumble, the Scuderia will need to be perfectly positioned to respond.
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