Overview
- Lewis Hamilton says he deliberately skipped Ferrari’s simulator before the Canadian weekend to focus on deep data analysis, physical training and close setup work with engineers, a change he calls the best he has felt this year.
- The sim‑less approach produced immediate gains in qualifying: Hamilton topped SQ1, ran strong in SQ2 and outqualified team‑mate Charles Leclerc in both the sprint and main qualifying sessions by 0.084s and 0.108s respectively.
- Ferrari arrived in Montreal without fresh aerodynamic or mechanical hardware and concentrated on refining the package introduced in the United States, making setup discoveries more consequential than parts upgrades.
- Hamilton credited specific gains to improved brake performance, corner‑entry stability and mechanical balance that let him attack corners more confidently on a track sensitive to ride and kerbs.
- The move echoes Hamilton’s similar no‑sim decision in Shanghai and could mark a repeatable preparation option for him, while rivals’ upgrade activity and a rain forecast for the race add variables that may affect how the weekend’s pace converts into race results.