For the first time in weeks, Lewis Hamilton climbed out of his Ferrari after Friday’s running in Montreal looking genuinely energised. And there was a good reason behind the spring in the seven-time world champion's step.
After an encouraging Sprint qualifying performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the seven-time world champion revealed that Ferrari’s SF-26 has undergone what he described as a complete transformation in feel – the result not of new parts, but of finally unlocking the right setup direction.
And perhaps most surprisingly, Hamilton believes skipping simulator work may have helped trigger the breakthrough.
Ferrari finally clicks for Hamilton
While rival teams continued introducing upgrades in Canada following Miami, Ferrari arrived in Montreal without any additional hardware. Instead, the Scuderia focused entirely on refining and understanding the package already introduced in the United States.
The payoff was immediate.
Hamilton topped SQ1, followed it with second place in SQ2, and although he eventually slipped to fifth in the final classification, the bigger story was the confidence suddenly flowing through both driver and car.
“Probably the best qualifying session we've had for some time, and just really great work with the engineers,” he said. “Setup changes, the car felt really fantastic from P1, and we made just subtle changes going into its quali.
“P1 and P2, it was looking good, and then I don't know why the others are able to turn up a little bit more – I don't know.
“But I'm just happy to be there in the fight, I was having so much fun out there. And also the fact that I didn't do the sim, and I feel like it's the best I've felt all year. So I think that's the way forward for me.”
The upbeat tone marked a notable contrast to the difficult periods Hamilton has endured while adapting to Ferrari machinery this season.
No simulator, no problems
Hamilton explained that stepping away from simulator duties before the Canadian weekend allowed him to focus more intensely on preparation away from the virtual cockpit – particularly through data analysis and physical training.
According to the Briton, that deeper technical work helped uncover a setup solution Ferrari had never previously attempted.
“Yeah, we worked really hard sifting through the data the last couple of weeks, and I found that so much more beneficial,” he said.
“One, I was able to then just focus on training and not be distracted, and then the second part is just like really going through a fine comb with ride stability, through corner balances and mechanical balance.
“And I chose a setup that we've not used – we never used it actually before – so it's transformed the car for me. So I hope that bodes well for the rest of the weekend."
Around Montreal’s high-speed chicanes and unforgiving kerbs, Hamilton finally appeared comfortable attacking the car rather than wrestling it.
For Ferrari, that may be the most encouraging development of all.
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