Lewis Hamilton achieved his best qualifying display of the year with P5 for the Sprint in Canada, with the Ferrari driver attributing the result to a large overhaul in his preparation approach.
In the build up to this weekend, Hamilton announced he had ditched the Ferrari sim run, and instead been examining previous races to get a better understanding of the car’s balance and set up.
This was a benefit immediately obvious, as the seven time World Champion was running his rivals consistently and beat his team mate Charles Leclerc in qualifying for the first time this season, since the Chinese Grand Prix.
“I think it is arguably the best qualifying session that we have had in quite a while,” stated Hamilton after qualifying. “The car felt great and I truly had fun in the process.”
Hamilton detailed how understanding the ride stability and the car corner balance helped him to arrive at an unfamiliar Ferrari setup, increasing his confidence.
Leclerc has struggled with his braking, in every session on Friday, with the Monegasque confessing he “was low on confidence” under braking. McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the second row for the Sprint, and the Prancing Horse will look to continue building on the result for the remainder of Hamilton’s weekend.
