Hamilton Happy with Montreal P2 Finish Amid Championship Boost
Lewis Hamilton described his second-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix as his most joyful moment since joining Scuderia Ferrari, revealing a newfound sense of harmony and comfort within the Italian squad. The milestone result marks the seven-time World Champion’s highest race finish since his high-profile move to Maranello at the start of the 2025 season.
Hamilton’s path to the Montreal podium required a resilient bounce-back following a frustrating Saturday. Despite showcasing promising pace during the early sessions of the weekend, the Briton endured a difficult Sprint race where he slipped down the order to finish a disappointing sixth. However, Sunday’s Grand Prix yielded a much more favorable outcome. Launching from fifth on the grid, Hamilton managed his tires masterfully and carved his way through the field, culminating in a fierce wheel-to-wheel battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the second step of the podium.
The veteran driver successfully cleared Verstappen to claim second, trailing only race winner Kimi Antonelli. Reflecting on the achievement after a turbulent start to his Ferrari tenure, a beaming Hamilton expressed immense pride in the technical unit he has built around himself, stating that he finally has the exact engineering group he had been working toward. He credited the team’s relentless winter development for delivering a reliable and highly competitive car, noting that he now possesses a much deeper understanding of the machinery and feels physically and mentally primed to maintain this momentum heading into the European summer leg.
Beyond personal vindication, Hamilton’s performance, combined with a solid fourth-place finish for teammate Charles Leclerc, proved to be a massive commercial success for Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. The double-top-five finish allowed the Scuderia to firmly consolidate their second-place position in the standings. Their primary rivals for the spot, McLaren, endured a disastrous afternoon in Montreal, failing to score a single point and allowing the Italian team to open up a significant points cushion.
