Hamilton Secures Best Ferrari Result in Canada by Skipping the Simulator

Lewis Hamilton returned to the scene of his maiden Formula 1 victory and delivered his best grand prix result for Ferrari, finishing a strong second in Canada. The seven-time champion passed Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and hunted down Max Verstappen's Red Bull in the closing stages, marking a significant upturn after 17 turbulent months with the Scuderia.

Why it matters:

• This result validates Hamilton's unconventional preparation methods and proves he can still fight at the sharp end when the car suits his driving style.
• It signals a potential turning point in his Ferrari tenure, shifting the narrative from early-season struggles to genuine competitiveness.

The details:

• Hamilton started fifth, quickly dispatched Piastri, and chased down Verstappen late in the race to secure P2.
• His previous best grand prix result for the team was third in China, a weekend where he also won the sprint race.
• Simulator Snub: Hamilton deliberately skipped Ferrari's simulator at Maranello before the weekend, citing a lack of correlation with real-world track conditions.
• Instead of simulator running, he focused on a deep dive into data analysis—a method he also used prior to his strong China weekend.
• Hamilton described himself as "old school," noting that across his championship-winning seasons, simulator use was not a necessity for his race preparation.

What's next:

• Hamilton will likely continue bypassing the simulator for race preparation, sticking to the approach that has yielded his two best weekends with Ferrari.
• He remains open to using the facility for post-race correlation work, hoping his real-world feedback can help the team improve the simulator's accuracy and overall car development moving forward.