Lewis Hamilton was overjoyed after securing his best finish for Ferrari following a thrilling late showdown with arch-rival Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The 41-year-old seven-time world champion duelled intensely with Red Bull's Verstappen in the closing laps after race leader George Russell retired midway through the race. Hamilton ultimately prevailed, overtaking Verstappen around the outside of turn one to claim second place for the first time as a Ferrari driver.
"Awesome to fight with one of the greats," Hamilton said after clinching just his second Ferrari podium. "Very challenging behind him but I loved that hunt, my whole life has been about that since I was a kid in a really old go-kart. I was always hunting, it was amazing to be back in that position and hunting him down ahead. I had so much fun out there all weekend, every single lap. Felt like we started on the right foot and came with the right attitude."
Hamilton adopted a different approach for this race, choosing not to use the simulator beforehand and instead focusing on data analysis to find the optimal race setup. He believes this strategy paid off and praised his team for delivering a competitive car.
"To come here to a track that I do love was awesome. This is my first second place with the team, it is something I have been working so hard for," Hamilton added. "I can't explain how deep I have had to dig to get to this point and moving mountains in the background to enable this kind of performance. Really grateful to the team for supporting me. It is a really lovely feeling to see them so happy because they truly deserve it for the work they have put in. I chose a different setup this weekend, working through the data with my engineer who is awesome, I love working with him. Fred (team principal Fred Vasseur) has been super supportive."
McLaren endured a nightmare afternoon, starting on intermediate tyres while rivals opted for soft slicks, forcing an early change before Lando Norris retired with a reliability issue. This aided Hamilton and Verstappen's podium finishes, with Verstappen securing his first podium of the season.
Verstappen expressed gratitude to McLaren for "making a mess of the strategy" and reiterated his call for proposed engine changes for next season to be approved, amid his dissatisfaction with current regulations. A switch to increase power from the internal combustion engine from 2027 has been agreed in principle, but some manufacturers remain doubtful.
Despite the thrilling race in Montreal, Verstappen downplayed the role of regulations. "Us drivers, give us any kind of car and we will give you a good show. That has nothing to do with the car, it just needs to be more pure," he said. "Driving other cars this season has reminded me how great the racing can be and how pure motorsport can be. I hope what they are trying to do for next year goes through because that is the minimum to make it a bit more back to normal."
