Hamilton, Verstappen and Mercedes Dominance: F1 Canada Questions Answered

Kimi Antonelli extended his drivers’ championship lead in Canada after Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired from the Montreal race weekend.
Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen completing the podium in third place for Red Bull Racing.
Hamilton had a strong weekend in Canada, outpacing Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc throughout and crediting his decision to avoid the team simulator.
After the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton indicated the Ferrari simulator was sending him in the wrong direction on set-up, so he chose not to use it before Canada.
Hamilton confirmed the decision paid off, saying: “I felt like we started on the right foot, came with the right attitude, and the car really generally felt great.”
He also addressed the simulator situation directly, explaining: “Now, whether I use it to prepare for another race? Probably not. There are just too many risks.”
Hamilton added: “If you look at the two best races I’ve had, I didn’t use a simulator. Pretty much all the championships I won before, except for probably 2008, I didn’t use the sim.”
His two strongest results this season came in China and Canada, both circuits where Hamilton has historically performed at an exceptionally high level throughout his career.
The correlation between avoiding the simulator and strong performances remains an observation rather than a confirmed conclusion, requiring further evidence across more race weekends.
Max Verstappen renewed his comments about potentially leaving Formula 1 if changes to the engine regulations do not materialise before next season.
Verstappen said: “It’s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this,” referencing the complexity of energy management under the new 2026 power unit regulations.
He expanded further, stating: “Most of the rules, the fans don’t even know what we are dealing with while driving, what is allowed when you’re behind or when you’re the car ahead.”
Verstappen acknowledged his enjoyment of his on-track battle with Hamilton in Canada but maintained his frustration with the regulatory environment surrounding the new engines.
Hamilton echoed similar sentiments, saying: “You go on the power, you open up the straight-line mode, and then the power dies halfway down the straight and the RPM starts dropping.”
He added: “It doesn’t feel what motorsport should be. The engine should be ringing its neck right to the end of the straight and just pulling and pulling.”
Formula 1 bosses are pushing for a change to a 60:40 split between internal combustion and electrical power next year, reducing energy management demands on drivers.
Ferrari, Audi, Honda and Cadillac have not yet provided enough support for the change, though negotiations continued with the aim of reaching agreement this week.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane confirmed an agreement to shorten the highest fuel-consumption races by a lap or two if needed, allowing teams to retain current fuel tank sizes.
On the championship picture, Mercedes have taken pole position and won every grand prix so far this season, averaging a 0.369-second qualifying advantage over McLaren, their nearest rival.
Antonelli holds a 56-point lead over the first non-Mercedes driver in the standings, representing more than two race victories clear of the chasing pack.
McLaren remain the team considered most likely to close the gap to Mercedes, having shown genuine pace in Miami, where Norris took sprint pole and victory but missed the main race win through a strategic error.
Monaco represents the next opportunity for a different team to challenge at the front, with Ferrari expected to be strong given the circuit characteristics and Charles Leclerc’s exceptional record around the streets.
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