Lewis Hamilton delivers breakthrough Ferrari podium in Canada but raises concerns over F1 2026 overtaking difficulty
Lewis Hamilton produced his strongest result yet in Ferrari colours at the Canadian Grand Prix, securing a superb second-place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. However, despite the standout performance, Lewis Hamilton highlighted growing concerns about how challenging wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking have become under the current Formula 1 regulations heading into the 2026 season.
Starting from fifth on the grid, the Briton positioned himself perfectly to capitalise on a chaotic opening phase of the race. A strategic misjudgement from McLaren, combined with a sudden battery-related failure for George Russell, opened the door for the Ferrari driver to move into podium contention. From there, Lewis Hamilton steadily closed the gap to Max Verstappen, eventually executing a decisive and highly skilful overtake around the outside of Turn 1 — one of the standout moves of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Former world champion Damon Hill and respected commentator Martin Brundle both praised the move, describing Lewis Hamilton’s overtaking manoeuvre as “magic” given the precision and bravery required in modern Formula 1 machinery. The performance secured Lewis Hamilton a well-earned P2 finish, marking his best result so far since joining Ferrari and reinforcing his growing adaptation to the SF-26 package.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was also highly complimentary, reportedly describing his teammate’s Canadian Grand Prix performance as “incredible”, acknowledging the impact the seven-time world champion had on Ferrari’s strongest weekend of the season to date.
Despite the result, Lewis Hamilton admitted that the current technical regulations are making overtaking increasingly difficult, particularly in race conditions where energy deployment and power differences play a decisive role.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Lewis Hamilton explained that while he feels increasingly comfortable within Ferrari and its engineering structure, racing itself has become far more complex than in previous eras. He suggested that although corner performance was strong, Ferrari still lost significant time on the straights, which complicated overtaking attempts.
Lewis Hamilton explained that multiple elements now need to align perfectly for competitive race execution, noting that he finally feels aligned with his engineering group and the overall direction of the Ferrari project. He also expressed optimism that this momentum can continue for the rest of the season as the team refines the car’s performance window.
However, Lewis Hamilton emphasised that overtaking in Formula 1 has become extremely challenging, particularly due to how power deployment and battery management affect straight-line speed. He explained that while he was faster through the corners, rivals consistently regained advantage on the straights thanks to higher available power output.
He further elaborated that modern Formula 1 racing requires constant calculation of energy deployment across multiple straights, making overtaking feel like a continuous strategic guessing game. According to Lewis Hamilton, this level of complexity makes wheel-to-wheel battles significantly harder than in previous regulations, describing it as “ten times harder than normal” due to the constant need to estimate battery usage and energy recovery.
Despite these frustrations, Lewis Hamilton stated that he remains grateful to have been able to execute his race effectively and convert the opportunity into a strong result for Ferrari.
Following the race, Lewis Hamilton was visibly delighted in the media pen, reflecting on what he described as one of his most satisfying weekends since joining Ferrari. He praised the entire team for their work in improving the car setup and competitive consistency throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Lewis Hamilton also highlighted the quality of the racing battle with Max Verstappen, stating that competing at the front again felt highly rewarding after a difficult period. He expressed strong emotional satisfaction, noting that he feels fortunate to be part of what he described as “the greatest show in the world” and insisted he would never take the opportunity for granted.
Looking ahead, expectations are building that Ferrari could be even more competitive at the Monaco Grand Prix, a circuit that traditionally rewards mechanical grip and driver precision over outright power. With Kimi Antonelli suggesting Ferrari may enter the weekend as favourites, Lewis Hamilton could once again be in a strong position to challenge for victory as Ferrari’s 2026 campaign continues to build momentum.
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