Mercedes engineers discover why Lewis Hamilton excelled at Canadian Grand Prix as Ferrari star delivers best result yet
By Hugo Harvey
Lewis Hamilton produced his strongest performance yet as a Ferrari driver at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, and Mercedes engineers now believe they have identified exactly why the seven-time world champion looked so competitive in Montreal.
Hamilton crossed the line in second place behind Mercedes sensation Kimi Antonelli after an intense and unpredictable race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. While circumstances such as George Russell’s retirement and McLaren’s failed strategy gamble helped Hamilton secure the podium, there was another factor behind his remarkable pace tyre temperature management.
The conditions in Canada were highly unusual for a modern Formula 1 race weekend. Ambient temperatures reportedly hovered around just 11 degrees Celsius during Sunday’s Grand Prix, making it one of the coldest races in recent memory.
That created a major challenge for every team on the grid, with drivers struggling to bring their tyres into the correct operating window. However, Mercedes appeared to have mastered those difficult conditions better than anyone else.
According to reports from Auto Motor und Sport, Mercedes have specifically engineered their wheel rims to transfer additional “waste heat” from the brakes into the tyres. That innovation allowed the Silver Arrows to generate tyre temperature faster and more consistently than their rivals throughout the race.
Antonelli eventually took victory by almost 11 seconds, underlining Mercedes’ dominance in the chilly conditions, but engineers were particularly impressed by Hamilton’s ability to extract performance from the tyres even while driving Ferrari machinery.
Mercedes engineers reportedly studied Hamilton’s race data closely after the event and noticed that the British driver was generating slightly more tyre temperature than anyone else on track.
“Lewis Hamilton’s temperatures were a touch higher,” Mercedes engineers explained.
“This was clearly evident in the fact that he was more competitive with the medium tyres than with the softs.”
That detail became especially significant during Hamilton’s battle with Max Verstappen. Early in the race, Verstappen managed to overtake Hamilton on lap nine after Ferrari initially struggled for grip.
But as the race evolved, Hamilton began to come alive on the medium compound tyres — a tyre many drivers found extremely difficult to switch on in the freezing conditions.
The Ferrari driver gradually closed the gap to Verstappen and eventually reclaimed the position on lap 62 in one of the standout moments of the race.
Hamilton’s tyre management and consistency allowed him to maintain competitive pace deep into the Grand Prix while others suffered degradation, instability, or simply failed to reach ideal operating temperatures.
The performance was made even more impressive by the struggles of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who endured a difficult afternoon that included a costly half-spin.
By the chequered flag, Hamilton finished more than 30 seconds clear of Leclerc, a massive margin that highlighted the difference in confidence and tyre control between the two Ferrari drivers in Canada.
For Hamilton personally, the podium represented an important breakthrough after a difficult opening phase to life at Ferrari. Since his blockbuster switch from Mercedes, questions have constantly surrounded whether the 41-year-old could still consistently compete at the front against younger rivals.
Montreal provided the clearest evidence yet that Hamilton still possesses the racecraft and technical sensitivity that made him one of Formula 1’s greatest-ever drivers.
However, there is still caution inside the paddock about reading too much into the result.
The Canadian Grand Prix was considered a major meteorological anomaly compared to the temperatures expected at upcoming races. Events in Monaco, Barcelona, and Australia are all forecast to be dramatically warmer, potentially exposing Ferrari’s usual weaknesses once again.
Cold-weather tyre preparation has long been one of Hamilton’s greatest strengths, dating back to his dominant years with Mercedes. His smooth driving style and ability to preserve grip often allowed him to outperform rivals whenever conditions became unpredictable.
The key question now is whether Ferrari can replicate that competitiveness when temperatures rise.
If Hamilton can continue delivering performances like the one seen in Montreal under more normal conditions, optimism around Ferrari’s season could quickly grow. But if the Canadian result proves to be purely weather-related, concerns about the team’s overall pace may return just as quickly.
Either way, the race offered another reminder that Hamilton remains one of the most technically gifted drivers on the Formula 1 grid.
And while Mercedes may no longer have him behind the wheel, their engineers appear to have rediscovered exactly what made him so devastatingly effective for so many years.