Lewis Hamilton is in shape
Lewis Hamilton confirms himself as the most on-form driver inside the Ferrari garage during the Canadian GP weekend, despite that little mistake in trying to defend against Oscar Piastri which led him to finish the Sprint Race behind Charles Leclerc. The 41-year-old Englishman has almost always been able to perform at his best among the walls of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and the 2026 edition is no exception. So much so that, in Saturday evening qualifying, Hamilton flirted with the idea of taking a grid spot in the second row, before being – again, as happened already on Friday in the Sprint Qualifying – outpaced by the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Read more Antonelli: “A complicated qualification; Russell and I cleared things up after the Sprint”
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Canadian GP, the qualifying story
Thus, Sir Lewis’s Canadian GP will again start from fifth position, hoping for a start as good as that of the 100 km race and especially hoping to really fight on equal terms with the two papaya cars despite the power deficit which is quite an obvious handicap on the Montreal straights. “Well, in Q1 – the Ferrari driver commented to Sky microphones after the qualifying checkered flag – I actually went so-so, but I had used tires. Then in Q2 and also at the start in Q3 I got off to a good start and knew I could even improve slightly. In practice, however, I didn’t manage it, I started badly on the last lap”.
Read more F1 GP Canada 2026 – Starting grid: Russell beats Antonelli at the last second, Leclerc only 8th
The rain dance
Beyond the starting position, Hamilton is also aiming at possible tricky weather conditions to make the most of the chassis quality of his SF-26 and compete even against cars that run at higher top speeds: “I don’t really know what to expect in the race and we will definitely have to see what the weather conditions will be. But I am optimistic. Tonight we will work hard and, if in the end we race in the wet, it’s clear that we will have to optimize some things but also that the car is quite well set up”. “I hope the rain can level the playing field a bit for everyone and that this allows me to do a bit better”.
However, there is a small source of anxiety: Lewis Hamilton has been summoned by the race stewards for a possible impeding in Q1 against Pierre Gasly at turn 10 (the hairpin) and is awaiting the stewards’ verdict, which could also demote him on the grid.
