Lewis Hamilton focuses on Ferrari SF-25 upgrades, not reassurance, ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix 2025. F1 goals remain clear.
A relaxed Lewis Hamilton arrived in the paddock at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
After expressing his relief yesterday that his Ferrari had indeed suffered an issue during the race in Spain, and responding to the rumors about Frédéric Vasseur and himself, it’s now time to focus on the sporting side and his ambitions for the race.
“This is one of the races that means the most to me,” he began.
“I won my first race on Île Notre-Dame. I remember the incredible feeling of being the first to cross the line, and since then, Montreal has always been a special place for me.”
Among the features the British champion enjoys about this circuit are, of course, its layout, but also how close the fans are to the action.
“The track is thrilling with walls all around, but it’s incredibly fast for a street circuit, and the braking zones are intense, which gives you a real adrenaline rush. But what I really love are the grandstands, because they’re closer to the track than anywhere else. At Turn 10 or Turn 2, it feels like you’re braking in the arms of the fans, and it’s an amazing feeling.”
“I’ve always had a lot of support here, and now that I’m a Ferrari driver, I think I’ll have even more, especially since there’s a large Italian community here. We’re working hard to achieve – and deliver – a great result this weekend.”
As a Ferrari driver, does he expect a different kind of reception?
“I’m not really sure what to expect. Every race I take part in is unique – this is the first time I’m driving the red car on this circuit. As I said, there’s a fairly large Italian community, which I didn’t know. So I hope the support will be strong here this weekend.”
Naturally, the Ferrari SF-25 isn’t the favorite for this weekend, but Leclerc expressed some confidence that it could be in podium contention. Does Hamilton share that view? He prefers to focus on the delayed upgrades, particularly the new rear suspension.
“Hard to say. Overall, we need to improve the performance of our car. We had an upgrade in Bahrain. I hope to get another one soon. We’re also at the stage where we need to start working on next year’s car. The car I’m driving now isn’t one I’ve had a hand in developing or evolving over the past four years. So I’m driving a car that Charles obviously contributed to, that he knows very well, and that has its challenges. But I enjoy that challenge.”
Does he need a smooth weekend to regain motivation and shake off a bit of a negative run?
“I don’t feel like I’m chasing that. Of course, a good weekend is always welcome, but I don’t feel I’m in desperate need of one. It sounds a lot worse from the outside, listening to you, than it does from within.”
“I just came out of the engineering meeting, and the way they’re setting up the car compared to all the other years I’ve been here is completely different. And talking with the engineers about changing things… they have a certain way of working, and their response is like, ‘Wait a second, that doesn’t really make sense.’”
“This is what I’ve been doing here for the past 17 or 18 years, and it’s worked for many of them. So everything needs to come together with the team, and we need to work constructively to bring about change. The car has a real strength, and we’re trying to make it work on all these circuits, which is a challenge for everyone. I hope this weekend will be a strong one.”
