Lewis Hamilton delivered his best performance since joining Ferrari in Canada, to the point of leaving Charles Leclerc far behind.
After months of difficult adaptation, Lewis Hamilton has finally found the formula. On the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, the seven-time world champion secured a brilliant second place and, above all, dominated his teammate Charles Leclerc in a way rarely seen since his arrival at Ferrari.
This performance did not go unnoticed by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer. For the Briton, Hamilton simply delivered his most accomplished weekend under the Scuderia colors, showing a level of confidence and aggression reminiscent of his greatest years.
A rediscovered Hamilton behind the wheel of his Ferrari
Since his transfer to Ferrari, Hamilton had often struggled to compete with Leclerc over an entire weekend. The Monegasque generally held the advantage, whether in qualifying or race pace.
But in Montreal, the dynamic completely reversed. From the first sessions, Hamilton appeared particularly comfortable with his car. The Briton seemed in perfect harmony with the SF-26, a feeling he had rarely experienced since arriving in Maranello.
According to Palmer, this return to form recalled the dominant Hamilton who made history in the sport.
“At 100%, it was his best weekend with Ferrari. He was happy, confident, and totally in control. It felt like a step back to the best Lewis Hamilton” explained the former driver on the F1 Nation podcast.
Palmer even believes that the level shown in Canada was superior to what we had seen during the Briton’s last seasons at Mercedes.
“The car was moving a lot, but he seemed to be one with it at every moment. It was probably the best Hamilton we’ve seen in several years.”
Charles Leclerc under pressure
The most striking element of the weekend remains the gap observed between the two Ferrari drivers. Until now, Hamilton often considered it a success just to stay in touch with Leclerc.
In Canada, the situation was completely different. Leclerc never managed to keep up with his teammate’s pace and gradually found himself relegated to the background.
This situation visibly affected the Monegasque, particularly frustrated during the race when he learned the times set by Hamilton.
The radio exchanges revealed an annoyed driver, unable to understand why he could not reproduce his garage neighbor’s performances.
A turning point in the Ferrari season?
For Jolyon Palmer, this weekend could mark a real change in Ferrari’s internal hierarchy.
“Usually, a good day for Lewis was to stay close to Charles. In Montreal, he literally crushed him” stated Palmer.
“Charles was extremely frustrated. He even said it was his worst weekend. At one point, he didn’t want to hear his engineer on the radio until the end of the race, which shows the pressure Lewis put on him.”
This performance could represent a major breakthrough for Hamilton. After several months of doubts, the Briton has finally shown that he can not only compete with Leclerc but also beat him convincingly.
It remains to be seen whether this level displayed in Montreal will be an exception or the beginning of a new dynamic at Ferrari. One thing is certain: for the first time since arriving in Maranello, Hamilton seems to have found the keys to fully exploit his car.