Lewis Hamilton finished the Canadian Grand Prix in second place, approximately 10 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli, achieving his best result ever in a Ferrari uniform. The seven-time world champion, who moved to Maranello at the start of 2025, has at least for one weekend put behind him the adaptation pains that continued until Montreal, and finally shown that he can truly feel and race in the SF-26.
Hamilton has finally found himself at Ferrari.
Hamilton initially followed a patient strategy behind Russell and Verstappen throughout the race. After Russell retired due to engine failure, the British driver moved up to second place, and in the final laps, he overtook Verstappen to comfortably cross the finish line. Hamilton's post-race comments were noteworthy: he stated that it was his best weekend with Ferrari and that he was finally beginning to feel his true potential. Communication with his new race engineer, Carlo Santi, is said to have played a decisive role in this transformation.
Leclerc's nightmare: 34 seconds behind, unanswered questions.
On the other hand, the picture was completely different in Ferrari's other garage. Charles Leclerc, despite driving the same SF-26, finished fourth, a full 34 seconds behind his teammate, making Canada one of the most grueling defeats of his career. Leclerc displayed an angry and unhappy demeanor throughout the weekend; after Saturday's sprint race, he said it was "the worst weekend of my career," while on Sunday he sought some consolation in at least finishing fourth.
Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft, citing Ferrari sources, stated in his assessment of F1 Oversteer that the significant pace gap between the two drivers has raised serious questions within the team. The team is analyzing whether the drivers' differing setup preferences are causing a performance difference.
A critical balance in the championship standings.
In the championship standings, Leclerc is third with 75 points, and Hamilton is fourth with 72 points; this three-point difference will keep the internal rivalry within Ferrari a subject of curiosity throughout the season. The next stop is Monaco; this track, with its narrow streets and heavy mechanical loads, may offer clues as to the real reason behind the gap between the two Ferrari drivers.