Lewis Hamilton: After ‘amazing’ weekend at Canadian Grand Prix, has Ferrari driver actually found the ‘sweet spot’ | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton capped off his most impressive weekend since joining Ferrari 18 months ago with a late overtake of Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Hamilton achieved his best performance for Ferrari and his second podium finish, ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc during the sprint weekend in Montreal.

“These guys (Ferrari) have welcomed me with open arms. It’s been quite a tough year, so it was an amazing feeling to finally find our sweet spot and have a great weekend,” he said.

Like George Russell, Hamilton had a weekend in need of a big performance after two difficult incidents.

But unlike Russell, the seven-time world champion got the response he wanted from his driving…

Hamilton’s retirement? Not ‘for a while’

Hamilton started 2026 strongly, following Leclerc in Australia and China and taking his first Ferrari podium in Shanghai.

He seemed to enjoy the new car a lot more than his previous ground effects machine, but his form took a sudden dip in Japan and Miami, failing to beat Leclerc on the road in any of the six competitive sessions over that weekend.

Last Thursday in Montreal, Hamilton was asked by Italian media about his future. In particular, he was asked if everything was clear about whether he would drive for Ferrari in 2027.

He answered: “I’m still under contract so everything is 100% clear. I’m still focused, I’m still motivated, I love what I do with all my heart and I’m going to be here for quite some time so get used to it.

“There are a lot of people trying to get me to retire and that’s not even on my mind. I’m already thinking about what’s next and planning for the next five years. But yes, I still plan to be here for a while.”

Sky Sports F1 He knows that not only has Hamilton signed a contract with Ferrari for 2027, but he also has the option to remain with the team for 2028 if he wishes.

No matter who Hamilton’s response is aimed at, he wanted to make it public that he won’t be easily removed. However, in Formula 1, contracts can be broken and there are usually performance clauses for teams and drivers, so his comments meant there was particular interest in Hamilton over the weekend and he certainly nailed it.

Hamilton delivers after ‘Moving Mountains’

Ferrari didn’t bring any upgrades to Montreal, but rivals Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull did have new parts, so the Scuderia was expecting a tricky weekend.

But Hamilton actually made a noticeable effort to drive the car right away and explore its limits and found a good groove early on. That meant he finished fifth in Friday’s late sprint qualifying, but his pace in SQ1 and SQ2 was encouraging, especially as he looked to challenge Mercedes for pole.

A small mistake at the hairpin in SQ3 allowed Hamilton to take third place but beat teammate Leclerc, who was still struggling with his brakes.

“This is probably the best qualifying session we’ve had for a while,” said Hamilton.

“We did a really good job with the engineers and changed the setup. The car was fantastic in P1 and we made some subtle changes to Qualy.”

In the sprint itself, Hamilton was running fourth until he was overtaken late on by Oscar Piastri, while Leclerc also slipped and finished ahead of the British driver.

Ferrari tweaked some settings for qualifying later on Saturday and Hamilton beat Leclerc again for fifth. This time, powertrain issues at least prevented the McLarens from splitting into the second row.

Despite drizzling rain and tricky, gusty weather, Hamilton came alive on race day. He was overtaken by a high-flying Verstappen early on, and by the time everyone pitted with 37 laps remaining, he was seven seconds behind his former rival.

As the period progressed, Hamilton slowly chipped away at Verstappen’s advantage in what turned out to be a battle for second place following Russell’s retirement.

He leaned against the wall and pushed the limits of his vehicle’s braking capabilities. He knew he had to take some risks to capture who was best perceived as the best driver on the grid.

“I love that hunt. My whole life, ever since I was a kid. I had a really old go-kart, so I was always hunting,” Hamilton said.

At first it looked like Red Bull’s superior straight-line speed and Verstappen’s smart defense would be enough to hold off Hamilton. However, the Ferrari driver used his deployment tactically to move into Turn 1 with six laps remaining, earning his best Grand Prix result in red.

“I just had to make these calculations, trying to figure out how to maximize the amount of wattage in the battery bar over a series and see if there was enough battery at a certain point,” he said.

“I’m glad I could do it. It feels good when I overtake.”

Was the simulator-free approach the reason for the strong weekend?

Hamilton is preparing for the weekend’s race using the Ferrari simulator much more than he does with his McLaren and Mercedes. However, the two rounds where he did not use the simulator were in China and Canada. In both races he finished on the podium.

He said that after reaching the track in a race using a simulator, “everything was the other way around.” So he decided to focus more on data to optimize corner balance and braking. Two areas have been underwhelming for most of this season.

Hamilton said he wants to use the simulator to find out what the team in Canada is missing and why Maranello’s machines aren’t transferring the same results to the track in real life, but has no plans to use it to prepare for the race weekend.

“There’s too much risk. If you look at the two best races I’ve ever had, I didn’t use a simulator,” he said.

“It’s not really necessary because we haven’t used SIM in almost all of the championships, except maybe 2008. It’s a powerful tool, but I’m old school. I think it’s better without SIM.”

Was Canada a turning point for Hamilton?

Hamilton has seen enough of not being able to let Canada go as a one-off, and his return is timely considering there are six rounds in eight weeks before the summer break at the end of July.

The Gilles Villeneuve circuit has always been a track where he excels, taking his first pole position and victory in 2007.

Leclerc said he had a “nightmare” weekend and struggled to gain confidence in the cold conditions. So the real test for Hamilton is coming, and perhaps no greater challenge than the next race in Monaco.

Ferrari is expected to be very strong due to its strength in low-speed corners and the lack of straight lines that do not indicate a lack of power, and perhaps the team will win.

The pressure of being able to win, coupled with Leclerc being on home soil at his favorite track, will be a huge obstacle for Hamilton to overcome.

“I think our car can be really strong there,” said Hamilton, who last won at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.

“I will be focused to ensure that I arrive with the same energy as I did in Canada. I will work hard with the engineers to ensure that I can get the car in the right position in Exercise 1.”

Perhaps Hamilton should bring his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, to Monaco. The two races she entered this year, China and Canada, suggest she could be a lucky charm.

“I had an apartment in Canada so my mom stayed with me, so every night we would have dinner together and watch movies or just sit and talk. It was great,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to going on a little trip for a few days. It’s great to get a positive result. Now she has to come. She’s definitely my good luck omen and lucky charm. Let her come every weekend!”

Next up is the start of Formula 1’s European summer. The Monaco Grand Prix is ​​the first of six races to be held in eight weeks. Watch live on Sky Sports F1 from 5-7 June. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime