The Canadian Grand Prix weekend delivered plenty of excitement, especially at the front of the field, with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell exchanging the race lead for almost half the Grand Prix before a technical issue ultimately forced the Brit’s W17 into retirement. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen produced a spectacular fight for second place, further highlighting how the new generation of cars has allowed for much closer racing compared to recent years.
Hamilton still unconvinced by 2026 cars
According to Hamilton, that sensation goes against what motorsport should feel like, with the Brit nostalgically comparing the current generation to the old V8 and V10 era engines, which continuously pulled harder and harder right until the end of the straight.
“It’s definitely not second nature, that’s for sure. I think it still continues to be a weird feeling. You go down the power, you open up the SM, and then the power dies like halfway down the straight and the RPM starts dropping. It doesn’t feel what motorsport should be. The engine should be ringing its neck off right to the end of the straight and just pulling and pulling. That’s what they used to do in the V8 times or the V10 times. They would just pull and pull.
“It’s another element of racing that was never there before. I think ultimately the car is fundamentally a better design, so we can race and get close and follow each other closely, and I think that’s the best part of it. The power part, I think, is less exciting. The guys that have got the best power, you guys talk about it. Maybe you guys can give some pointers on it.”
Photo: Race Pictures
Hamilton sticks to old-school approach after Montreal podium: ‘I’m better without it’
After already revealing following Miami that he no longer intended to rely on the simulator, Hamilton stayed true to his word in Montreal – and in the end, the results appeared to prove him right. The Ferrari driver pointed out that his two strongest weekends of the season had both come without simulator preparation, insisting that throughout most of his championship-winning career he had achieved success using a far more old-school approach.
“If you look at the two best races I’ve had, I didn’t use a simulator. That’s honestly how it was. All the championships before, except for probably 2008, I didn’t use a sim. It’s not a necessity. It’s a tool that can be powerful, but for me, I’m old school. I’m probably better without it.”
Photo: Race Pictures
Although he stressed he would continue supporting the team’s development work, Hamilton also admitted he is unlikely to use the simulator again as part of his race preparation moving forward, believing the process introduces too many variables and risks for his personal driving approach.
“What could be good is, for example, going back and doing correlation to this weekend so we can find out where it’s missing, because the test driver will be on there saying it’s all good. They only know what they know because they don’t get to drive – only Charles and I get to drive the car.”