Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton faces an important weekend on the Canadian Grand Prix on the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, as highlighted by Sky Sports activities F1 analysts Karun Chandhok and David Croft. The seven-time world champion lately endured what many think about his most difficult race up to now with Ferrari on the Spanish Grand Prix, the place he was surprisingly outpaced by teammate Charles Leclerc in Barcelona. Though the Briton secured a Dash race victory earlier within the season in China, he stays with out a full Grand Prix podium after 9 races with Ferrari, whereas Leclerc has already claimed three.
Following his disappointing efficiency on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton returns this week to Canada—the positioning of his first Formulation 1 victory—hoping for a turnaround to regain momentum. Karun Chandhok expressed on the most recent episode of The F1 Present that the scenario is changing into more and more essential for the British driver. He famous that the season is now coming into its center part, and Hamilton has but to discover a constant rhythm or really feel absolutely snug with the automobile. Chandhok identified that Lewis Hamilton’s performances have been inconsistent, comparable to being poor in qualifying at Imola however sturdy within the race, and never fairly matching Charles Leclerc in Monte Carlo, the place he remained effectively behind his Maranello teammate.
Karun Chandhok indicated rising concern concerning the type for the previous Mercedes driver, particularly after the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Barcelona, the place Charles Leclerc overtook and pulled away comfortably even earlier than tyre methods got here into play. After a tough 2024 Formulation 1 season wherein Hamilton was outperformed by his Mercedes teammate George Russell, many hoped his swap to Ferrari would revive his competitiveness, however the sample of struggles has largely persevered. Chandhok added that if he have been in Hamilton’s place, he could be fearful. With almost half the season gone, it’s time to assess whether or not there are basic points with the automobile’s setup that want addressing.
He emphasised that the Briton’s expertise stays simple—evidenced by his China win—however the staff nonetheless wants to seek out the right stability for him to really feel assured each race weekend. At the moment, Hamilton experiences an excessive amount of fluctuation between sturdy and weak performances, which impacts his total outcomes.
Relating to Hamilton’s morale, there was some dialogue about whether or not he might need obtained a lift after current revelations a couple of automobile situation. Whereas Hamilton himself attributed his efficiency deficit to his personal driving after the Spanish GP, Ferrari staff principal Frederic Vasseur later disclosed {that a} mechanical drawback affected Hamilton’s efficiency within the last stint. Though Hamilton didn’t publicly point out the difficulty, David Croft recommended that understanding the issue might need helped Hamilton’s morale.
David Croft defined that Hamilton was visibly down after Spain and that Ferrari didn’t specify the precise drawback. Fred Vasseur’s affirmation of a automobile situation within the closing phases signifies Hamilton’s lack of race tempo was not solely because of driver efficiency. The British tv broadcaster for Sky Sports activities reasoned that going again to the drafting board to establish and repair the issue might function a morale booster for Lewis Hamilton, understanding that his struggles weren’t totally his fault.
Hamilton has a robust file in Canada, with six pole positions and 7 race wins on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, together with his final victory in 2019. Croft believes that this observe could possibly be the best venue for Lewis Hamilton to regain his type. He remarked that Canada is among the Briton’s favourite circuits and a spot the place he has traditionally carried out effectively, securing each his first pole and first F1 victory there. Croft said that if Hamilton has one other disappointing weekend comparable to Barcelona, it could sign deeper points. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the seven-time world champion has the flexibility to reverse his fortunes at this significant level within the season.