Lewis Hamilton heads to the Canadian Grand Prix as one of the most successful drivers in the event’s history — and Ferrari will be hoping that legacy pays dividends this weekend.
Hamilton has taken victory in Montreal seven times, a tally that puts him level with Michael Schumacher atop the all-time list. It was also the scene of his very first F1 win, all the way back in 2007.
READ MORE: Carlos Sainz compares Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles to Daniel Ricciardo’s early McLaren days
While he hasn’t won at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve since 2019, it’s worth noting that there was no race held in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic, and Mercedes, in recent years, haven’t always had the car to fight for victory.
Even so, Hamilton still managed podium finishes in 2022 and 2023, bringing his total podium tally in Montreal to 10, a number exceeded at only five other tracks across his career.
Hamilton arrives in Canada sixth in the championship standings and still searching for his first podium of the season. He scored eighth place at the recent Spanish Grand Prix but left Barcelona frustrated, having been overtaken late in the race by Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber.
Karun Chandhok: Hamilton “Still Building Trust” with Ferrari Engineers
During Thursday’s FIA press conference, Hamilton spoke candidly about the differences he’s noticed in Ferrari’s approach compared to his previous teams. He mentioned that some of the team’s setup decisions for Montreal were “completely different” from what he’d become accustomed to at Mercedes and McLaren, and that certain choices didn’t “make sense” to him.
Appearing on Sky Sports F1 during FP2, Karun Chandhok suggested Hamilton’s remarks point to a relationship that’s still taking shape: “I think that just summed up that they’re still having to build that level of trust. Lewis has done things his way for many years, but Ferrari have their own method, and now it’s about working out whether those two things can come together.”
Chandhok added: “As a driver, you have to be careful not to try and change too much too quickly. The engineers have the technical know-how, so you need to meet in the middle. That trust takes time to build.”
Vasseur Tight-Lipped About Hamilton’s Mysterious Barcelona Issue
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur took a defensive stance when asked on Friday about a mysterious problem Hamilton faced during the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix. Hamilton had previously hinted that he wasn’t permitted to discuss the details publicly.
“When I say I won’t disclose something, don’t come back ten minutes later asking again,” Vasseur responded. “And don’t try again the following Friday. I won’t explain what happened. It is what it is. Full stop.”
When pressed further, the Ferrari boss jokingly replied: “We put the front wheel at the rear.”
Hamilton later spoke in defense of Vasseur ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, echoing the kind of support Michael Schumacher once gave leadership during challenging moments at Maranello.
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