Charles Leclerc quashes Lewis Hamilton theory after Ferrari simulator experiment

It was a story of mixed fortunes for Ferrari in Montreal. Lewis Hamilton scored a career-best Ferrari finish of second, while Charles Leclerc endured one of his worst weekends, qualifying eighth and finishing fourth, over 30 seconds behind his teammate.

Hamilton had purposely suspended simulator use ahead of Canada, citing a misalignment between virtual and real setups. That decision worked wonders, prompting speculation that it gave him an edge over Leclerc.

Why it matters:

This performance swing tightens Ferrari's internal battle. Leclerc still leads Hamilton by just three points in the standings, but the psychological edge now shifts as F1 heads to Monaco — Leclerc's home race and a circuit where he traditionally excels.

The details:

• Hamilton's Montreal success came after he chose not to use Ferrari's simulator, claiming the virtual setups weren't translating to the track.
• Leclerc, however, firmly rejected any setup theory: “There's none of the performance we are seeing today down to a setup. A setup is, you can say, there's a tenth in a setup, but at the end of the day, it's not that much.”
• Instead, Leclerc pointed to his own driving: “It's more about my feeling and just the way I drove today. Not having the confidence, I just didn't push enough.”
• Hamilton's seven Canadian Grand Prix wins underline his natural affinity for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

What's next:

• The focus shifts to Monaco this weekend. Leclerc has never won his home race, but he'll be desperate to regain momentum after a confidence-shaking weekend in Canada.
• Hamilton will look to build on his strongest Ferrari display yet and close the championship gap further.
• Ferrari's intra-team dynamic remains a key storyline as the 2026 season develops.