Hamilton banks on wet Canadian GP to boost Ferrari hopes: 'I'm hoping it is'

Lewis Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his qualifying performance for the Canadian Grand Prix, despite narrowly missing the second row, and is now banking on expected rain to give Ferrari a fighting chance in the race.

The seven-time world champion fell less than a tenth of a second short of Oscar Piastri's spot, as Mercedes showed strong pace with the W17 around Montreal. Hamilton noted that setup changes helped him feel more confident, but missing his final lap likely cost him a better result.

Why it matters:

• A wet race could be Ferrari's best opportunity to challenge the frontrunners, as Hamilton believes rain can neutralize the performance gap to Mercedes and others.
• Hamilton's growing comfort with the car, particularly in braking and corner entry stability, signals progress for the Scuderia after a rocky start to the season.

The details:

• Qualifying performance: Hamilton was pleased with Ferrari's improvements through the session, saying, "It felt great, we made some good changes." He added, "If I got that last lap, I probably could have been a bit better."
• Setup confidence: The Briton highlighted brakes and corner entry stability as key areas where he now feels "much, much happier to attack the car."
• Rain hopes: When asked about the forecast, Hamilton said, "I'm hoping it is. I hope that levels us out to the guys ahead and maybe gives us a bit of a chance to fight with them."
• Wet tyre concerns: Hamilton criticized current wet tyres, noting they still don't work properly despite recent blanket temperature adjustments. "We're constantly battling tyres that don't work," he explained, adding that further changes are needed.

Between the lines:

Hamilton also faced a stewards' investigation for an alleged impeding incident with Pierre Gasly at Turn 8, adding uncertainty to his weekend. Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll were also called before the stewards for separate incidents.

What's next:

Rain is expected to play a major role in Sunday's race, potentially reshuffling the order and giving Ferrari an unexpected opportunity to fight for a strong result in Montreal.