In the new episode of Engineers of Thursday, Federico Albano and Carlo Platella review the situation among the top teams after the Canadian Grand Prix. Mercedes has taken the lead again thanks also to some invisible updates, while Antonelli begins to give his input for development. Ferrari has adopted a new setup, which helped Hamilton have an excellent weekend, unlike Leclerc. Many new developments also for Red Bull and McLaren, the latter expected to make a comeback in Monaco. Monte Carlo will also be a great opportunity for Ferrari, having a car and an engine that suit the Principality well.
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The leap of Antonelli and Hamilton
Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton were the main protagonists of the Canadian Grand Prix. The Italian driver managed to keep up with George Russell on one of the British driver’s favorite tracks, also taking advantage of software and clutch lever modifications that solved the starting problems. Mercedes also introduced invisible developments to improve tire cooling, whose beneficial effects will be seen especially with the arrival of hot races. Already in Montreal, however, the Silver Arrows showed they had made a big step forward in terms of aerodynamic load, thanks to updates to the floor, diffuser, and front wing.
At Ferrari, on the other hand, Lewis Hamilton had his best weekend since arriving in Maranello. The Canadian track has always been one of the seven-time world champion’s favorites, who, however, worked a lot with the engineers on braking phases and corner entry, developing a new mechanical setup. Conversely, Charles Leclerc was in deep crisis, with a total lack of confidence in the SF-26, which was both the cause and effect of the difficulty in getting the tires up to temperature.
Towards Monaco
Red Bull also made the podium in Montreal, continuing to push development, making further changes to the floor and front wing, with the goal of delivering Verstappen a car increasingly focused forward. The Milton Keynes team took advantage of McLaren’s misstep, both strategically and technically, as the papaya team had to temporarily shelve the new front wing. The world champions aim for a comeback in Monte Carlo, where Ferrari will also be in the mix.
The SF-26 has a chassis and engine that suit the twisty roads of Monaco well, where the power deficit from Mercedes will be less significant. In the Principality, however, Formula 1 cars work in a completely different window than usual, more similar to that of road cars, which is why the Monaco race requires very particular preparation. In 2025 Ferrari was able to fight for victory despite a car lacking in slow corners, an episode that reminds how difficult it always is to make predictions in Monte Carlo.
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