Achieving his highest-ever grand prix finish for Ferrari seemed to lift a significant burden from Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton secured second place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, following a captivating, lengthy contest against Max Verstappen from Red Bull, pursuing the Dutch driver for multiple laps before executing an overtake into Turn 1 on lap 62.
However, beyond the primary achievement, an even greater source of contentment – and crucial for the season’s broader outlook – is the fact that the seven-time global title winner now appears to be harmonizing with his team after a challenging inaugural season in 2025, which led to a strategic overhaul for Hamilton personally and for the Maranello-based organization.
It is widely known that even with extensive efforts by Hamilton and the Scuderia to incorporate him into the setup, he had not completely found comfort with the engineering resources available to him until the current year. Nevertheless, given the considerable financial commitment by both sides for what is understood to be a minimum of three campaigns, several staff adjustments and other behind-the-scenes endeavors now seem to be yielding positive outcomes.
Ferrari engaged Cedric Michel-Grosjean, previously with McLaren, with the intention of making him Hamilton’s permanent race engineer, assisted by Carlo Santi. Yet, because of obligations away from the circuit, it will not consistently be the same voice communicating with Hamilton via radio, and Autosport comprehends that Santi will serve as the Briton’s engineer for the forthcoming Monaco Grand Prix.
Irrespective of this, engineering assistance at the track is not solely dependent on an individual; it requires a collective effort for a driver to perform optimally, with performance engineer Luca Diella playing another crucial role within the system.
Following Hamilton’s superior qualifying performances over Leclerc in both the Montreal sprint and grand prix sessions, during a significantly tougher weekend for the Monegasque driver, he now sensed that the various components of the overall picture were finally aligning.
“The engineering squad I have been aiming for is finally assembled,” he declared, emitting a profound exhalation of relief.
“This marks my inaugural second-place finish with this organization. It represents an achievement I’ve relentlessly pursued; I cannot adequately convey the immense effort required to reach this stage, nor the behind-the-scenes work and obstacles overcome to facilitate this level of display. Yet, I am truly appreciative of the team’s ongoing encouragement and steadfast backing every race weekend. It brings me immense pleasure to witness their joy, as their dedication and strenuous efforts genuinely warrant it.”
Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Another contributing factor is Hamilton’s integral involvement in the 2026 development initiative, unlike in 2025, which marked the final year of ground-effect rules he found incompatible. His significant early contributions to the vehicle’s design imply a reduced need for subsequent adjustments.
Reflecting on his updated engineering arrangement, Hamilton stated: “This weekend, I opted for an alternative configuration simply by meticulously reviewing the data, collaborating exceptionally well with my engineer. He is truly outstanding, and I thoroughly enjoy our professional relationship. Furthermore, my second engineer performed splendidly this weekend, assisting me in extracting greater performance from the vehicle, placing it in a far more favorable condition. Consequently, I was at last able to aggressively tackle every bend.”
“I have requested numerous modifications, and Fred [Vasseur] has been incredibly accommodating, once more going to great lengths to ensure my comfort. This effort is now visibly reflecting in my on-track results.”
