Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton faces a vital weekend on the Canadian Grand Prix on the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, as highlighted by Sky Sports activities F1 analysts Karun Chandhok and David Croft. The seven-time world champion lately endured what many contemplate his most difficult race to date with Ferrari on the Spanish Grand Prix, the place he was surprisingly outpaced by teammate Charles Leclerc in Barcelona. Though the Briton secured a Dash race victory earlier within the season in China, he stays and not using a full Grand Prix podium after 9 races with Ferrari, whereas Leclerc has already claimed three.
Following his disappointing efficiency on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton returns this week to Canada—the location of his first Method 1 victory—hoping for a turnaround to regain momentum. Karun Chandhok expressed on the most recent episode of The F1 Present that the state of affairs is turning into more and more vital for the British driver. He famous that the season is now coming into its center section, and Hamilton has but to discover a constant rhythm or really feel totally comfy with the automotive. Chandhok identified that Lewis Hamilton’s performances have been inconsistent, comparable to being poor in qualifying at Imola however robust within the race, and never fairly matching Charles Leclerc in Monte Carlo, the place he remained properly behind his Maranello teammate.
Karun Chandhok indicated rising concern concerning the kind for the previous Mercedes driver, particularly after the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Barcelona, the place Charles Leclerc overtook and pulled away comfortably even earlier than tyre methods got here into play. After a tough 2024 Method 1 season by which Hamilton was outperformed by his Mercedes teammate George Russell, many hoped his swap to Ferrari would revive his competitiveness, however the sample of struggles has largely endured. Chandhok added that if he had been in Hamilton’s place, he could be frightened. With almost half the season gone, it’s time to assess whether or not there are basic points with the automotive’s setup that want addressing.
He emphasised that the Briton’s expertise stays plain—evidenced by his China win—however the workforce nonetheless wants to search out the right steadiness for him to really feel assured each race weekend. Presently, Hamilton experiences an excessive amount of fluctuation between robust and weak performances, which impacts his total outcomes.
Relating to Hamilton’s morale, there was some dialogue about whether or not he might need acquired a lift after latest revelations a few automotive problem. Whereas Hamilton himself attributed his efficiency deficit to his personal driving after the Spanish GP, Ferrari workforce principal Frederic Vasseur later disclosed {that a} mechanical downside affected Hamilton’s efficiency within the last stint. Though Hamilton didn’t publicly point out the difficulty, David Croft urged that understanding the issue might need helped Hamilton’s morale.
David Croft defined that Hamilton was visibly down after Spain and that Ferrari didn’t specify the precise downside. Fred Vasseur’s affirmation of a automotive problem within the closing levels signifies Hamilton’s lack of race tempo was not solely because of driver efficiency. The British tv broadcaster for Sky Sports activities reasoned that going again to the drafting board to determine and repair the issue might function a morale booster for Lewis Hamilton, figuring out that his struggles weren’t fully his fault.
Hamilton has a robust document in Canada, with six pole positions and 7 race wins on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, together with his final victory in 2019. Croft believes that this observe could possibly be the best venue for Lewis Hamilton to regain his kind. He remarked that Canada is without doubt one of the Briton’s favourite circuits and a spot the place he has traditionally carried out properly, securing each his first pole and first F1 victory there. Croft acknowledged that if Hamilton has one other disappointing weekend related to Barcelona, it might sign deeper points. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the seven-time world champion has the flexibility to reverse his fortunes at this important level within the season.
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