[Saba Sports News] The aftermath of the Canadian Grand Prix painted contrasting fortunes inside the Ferrari camp. Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in second place, securing his best race result since joining Ferrari, while teammate Charles Leclerc endured a disastrous weekend which he branded one of the worst outings of his career.
Hamilton’s upturn in form sparked widespread debate after the race, reigniting discussions over who claims the number-one driver status at Ferrari. Following a disappointing showing at the Miami Grand Prix, the seven-time F1 world champion revealed he had suspended simulator testing with Ferrari, arguing the data generated by the simulator failed to accurately reflect real-car behaviour. By coincidence, in his first race weekend ditching simulator preparation, Hamilton produced a stunning turnaround in Montreal. He outqualified Leclerc before running consistently near the front en route to a runner-up finish.
Leclerc rejects the theory that the performance gap stems from differing car setups or simulator usage. He notes modern F1 cars leave minimal room for setup tweaks; even an optimal configuration typically delivers gains of only a few hundredths of a second, nowhere near enough to account for their stark performance disparity in Canada. In the Monegasque’s view, his struggles boil down to a disconnect with his machinery. He admits he cannot push the car to its absolute limit without full confidence in its handling, and this lack of faith rather than technical setup is the core factor costing him pace and consistent race rhythm.
In my opinion, Ferrari’s ongoing intra-team duel for top billing is essentially a performance-driven dynamic contest. Leclerc holds advantages via home-ground support and a long-term contract, whereas Hamilton has closed the gap through consistent race pace and seasoned racecraft across the 2026 campaign. This healthy internal competition is set to persist for the rest of the season, with the final pecking order decided by setup compatibility and strategic execution instead of official positional declarations.