Hamilton pleased with his alternative approach for Canadian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton had his best qualifying session of the year on Friday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, finishing fifth in Sprint Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver credited a different approach to his weekend preparation — notably skipping the simulator — for the performance leap.

Why it matters:

Hamilton has struggled to consistently extract performance from the SF-25 in 2026, often finding himself behind teammate Charles Leclerc. This week's unconventional strategy — replacing sim time with deep data analysis and a never-before-used setup — suggests a potential breakthrough in how he adapts to Ferrari's machinery.

The details:

• Hamilton was quick on medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2, then set the fifth-fastest time in SQ3, finishing behind the two Mercedes and two McLarens but ahead of Leclerc.
• "That's probably the best qualifying session we've had for some time," he told F1 TV. "SQ1 and SQ2 were looking good... I'm just happy to be there in the fight. I was having so much fun out there."
• On skipping the simulator: "I found that so much more beneficial. I was able to just focus on training and not be distracted."
• Setup change: "I chose a setup that we've never used before and it's transformed the car for me."

What's next:

Hamilton hopes the improved form carries into the rest of the weekend, including the Sprint race and Sunday's Grand Prix. With a new setup and a refreshed approach, the seven-time champion may have found a path to consistent competitiveness in the Ferrari cockpit.