Lewis Hamilton's late overtake on Max Verstappen for second place at the Canadian Grand Prix capped his most impressive weekend since joining Ferrari 18 months ago. The seven-time world champion outshone teammate Charles Leclerc throughout the Sprint weekend in Montreal to claim his best result in red and only his second podium with the Scuderia.

"These guys [Ferrari] have welcomed me with open arms, and it's been pretty tough over the past year and a bit, so to finally find our sweet spot and have a good weekend has really been an amazing feeling," Hamilton said after the race.

Hamilton entered the Canadian weekend needing a strong performance after two difficult rounds in Japan and Miami, where he failed to beat Leclerc on the road in any competitive session. The contrast could not have been starker: in Montreal, Hamilton was immediately comfortable, hustling the car to its limits from Practice 1 and carrying that momentum through qualifying and the race.

Ferrari's No-Upgrade Gamble Pays Off

Ferrari brought no upgrades to Canada, while rivals Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull introduced new parts. The team expected a tricky weekend, but Hamilton's driving made the difference. He qualified fifth in both Sprint qualifying and Grand Prix qualifying, with a power unit problem in the latter costing him a potential second-row position. In the Sprint race, he ran fourth until late maneuvers from Oscar Piastri and Leclerc dropped him to sixth, but race day was where Hamilton truly shone.

With drizzle in the air and gusty conditions, Hamilton came alive. After an early overtake by Verstappen, Hamilton fell seven seconds behind his old rival but steadily chipped away at the gap. He pushed the car to its limits, running right up against the walls, and used tactical deployment of his battery to set up a late move. With six laps remaining, he lunged down the inside of Verstappen at Turn 1 to claim second place.

"I love that hunt. That's what my whole life has been about since [I was] a kid, since I had a really old go-kart, I was just always hunting," Hamilton said. "I was just having to do these calculations, trying to figure out how to maximise the amount of power on my battery bar each straight and make sure that I have enough at that particular point. Thank God I managed to pull it off."

The Simulator Question

A fascinating subplot emerged: Hamilton's best weekends with Ferrari have come when he did not use the team's simulator. In China (where he scored his first Ferrari podium) and now Canada, he relied solely on data analysis rather than the simulator. He said that in the races where he used the simulator, "everything was opposite" once he got to the track, particularly affecting corner balance and braking – two areas that had troubled him all season.

"There are just too many risks. If you look at the two best races I've had, I didn't use a simulator," Hamilton explained. "Pretty much all the championships before, except for probably 2008, I didn't use the sim, so it's not a necessity. It's a tool that can be powerful. But for me, I'm old school. I'm probably better without it."

He said he plans to continue using the simulator for correlation purposes but not for race preparation, a significant shift in his approach that could have long-term implications.

Hamilton's Future at Ferrari

Before the Canadian weekend, Hamilton faced questions from the Italian media about his Ferrari future. He responded emphatically: "I'm still in contract, so everything is 100 per cent clear to me. I'm still focused, I'm still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart, and I'm going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it. There's a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that's not even on my thoughts. I'm already thinking of what will be next, planning for the next five years."

It is understood that Hamilton not only has a Ferrari contract for 2027 but also an option to remain with the team through 2028. His strong performance in Canada may have been partly fueled by a desire to prove his doubters wrong.

Can Hamilton Sustain This Form?

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has historically suited Hamilton – he took his maiden pole and win there in 2007, and his first Ferrari podium came on a track where he has always excelled. The real test comes next at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari are expected to be very strong due to the car's low-speed corner performance. Leclerc, on home soil and a Monaco specialist, will be a formidable teammate.

Hamilton is aware that one weekend does not define a season. "I think our car could be really strong there [Monaco]," he said. "I'm really going to focus on making sure I arrive with the same energy as I had in Canada, really study hard with the engineers to make sure we position the car in the right place from Practice One."

Perhaps Hamilton's mother, Carmen Larbalestier, deserves some credit – she attended both China and Canada, the two races where Hamilton scored podiums. "I got an apartment in Canada, so my mom stayed with me. So, every night we'd have dinner together and we'd watch a movie or just sit up talking. It's been awesome," Hamilton said. "She's clearly my lucky omen, my lucky charm, have her come every weekend!"

With six races in eight weeks leading up to the summer break, Hamilton has an opportunity to build momentum. If he can replicate his Canadian form across a variety of circuits, he may finally prove that his move to Ferrari was the right one.

Source: Sky Sports News