Lewis Hamilton was as soon as once more left annoyed as his Canadian Grand Prix outing fell in need of expectations, with teammate Charles Leclerc in the end rising forward in Ferrari’s inner battle. Regardless of outqualifying Leclerc on Saturday—capitalising on the Monegasque driver’s disrupted remaining lap—Lewis Hamilton’s long-standing success in Montreal did not translate right into a significant end result this time round.
The Canadian observe, the place Hamilton has beforehand claimed seven wins, has traditionally been a stronghold for him. But, the 2025 version marked one other low level in his debut season with Ferrari. After 10 rounds, Hamilton has but to succeed in the rostrum—one thing unprecedented in his 18-season System 1 profession, not counting Dash races.
Though former driver and pundit Danica Patrick famous a very stunning remark from Lewis Hamilton over the weekend, there have been causes for cautious optimism because the Brit lined up for Sunday’s race. A podium appeared inside attain as lights went out, however by the point Hamilton made his first pit cease, that ambition had already pale.
Whereas Charles Leclerc was voicing rising irritation over Ferrari’s race technique, the Briton’s scenario was much more dire. He was contending with important technical difficulties that group boss Fred Vasseur is unlikely to miss.
Rear instability and braking points derail Hamilton’s Canadian Grand Prix
Hamilton’s race engineer Riccardo Adami knowledgeable him early within the race that the automotive had suffered a 20-point drop in downforce. Sky Sports activities F1 commentator Martin Brundle estimated the ensuing efficiency loss at round half a second per lap. What brought on this downforce deficit stays unsure, however it set the tone for a race crammed with mechanical struggles.
All through the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton persistently relayed his issues to the pit wall. He questioned whether or not there was a difficulty with rear grip, stating that the rear finish felt free. Riccardo Adami reportedly replied that the automotive appeared balanced from the info. Later, the Briton conveyed frustration about dropping important time whereas caught behind slower automobiles and expressed disbelief on the automotive’s lack of tempo and energy.
He complained of getting “no rear” and raised alarms concerning the declining efficiency of the brake pedal. At one level, he reported an lack of ability to cease the automotive successfully, prompting Riccardo Adami to substantiate that the brake pedal had certainly change into prolonged and was being monitored. The scenario escalated additional when the seven-time F1 world champion requested how he had fallen 25 seconds behind Charles Leclerc, regardless of having began forward on the grid—a telling indicator of simply how severe the issues have been.
Ferrari’s radio woes persist as Hamilton adapts to life with out Mercedes’ Bonnington
Lewis Hamilton’s radio exchanges with the Italian facet proceed to focus on the rising pains of adapting to a brand new group setting. Whereas his former engineer at Mercedes, Peter Bonnington, was busy overseeing Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s sturdy end in Canada, Lewis Hamilton was left bewildered by Ferrari’s decision-making.
One notable level of confusion got here throughout qualifying, the place Lewis Hamilton struggled to know the tyre technique deployed by the Scuderia. This sample has change into more and more acquainted since he joined Ferrari, with each Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ceaselessly at odds with the pit wall over numerous selections.
Whereas heated radio conversations aren’t unique to Ferrari, the highlight on their missteps grows brighter with each underwhelming efficiency. The persistent strategic uncertainties, coupled with unresolved automotive points, proceed to forestall Hamilton from making a clean transition to life in purple—fueling additional questions on Ferrari’s inner cohesion and competitiveness in 2025.
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