‘I’ve not been using the sim’: Lewis Hamilton explains key Ferrari routine switch

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton credited a major change to his preparation routine for delivering his strongest qualifying performance of the 2026 season so far after securing fifth place in Sprint Qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Heading into the Montreal weekend, Hamilton revealed he had decided to step away from Ferrari’s simulator programme and instead focus more on physical training, detailed data analysis and setup discussions with engineers, a move that appeared to pay immediate dividends at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

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The Ferrari driver comfortably outqualified teammate Charles Leclerc for the first time since the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this season and looked competitive throughout both SQ1 and SQ2 before eventually finishing behind the McLaren and Mercedes runners.

“It was probably our best qualifying session that we’ve had in a while,” Hamilton said after claiming P5 on the sprint grid. “It’s great work with the engineers on the setup changes; the car has felt really fantastic from FP1 and we’ve done some subtle changes for Quali.”

Hamilton admitted Ferrari still lacked the final edge compared to their rivals but was encouraged by the overall progress.

“SQ1 and SQ2 were looking good, and then I don’t know what’s happening for the others to be able to turn up their cars a little bit more,” he said. “I am just happy to be able to be in the fight.”

The Briton also explained how reducing simulator work had helped him better understand the car while improving his focus away from the track.

“I’ve had so much fun out there today. It’s also nice that I’ve not been using the sim and this is what the feeling feels like so I think for me that is the direction to go,” Hamilton added.

According to Hamilton, the extra time away from Ferrari’s simulator allowed him to focus more intensely on fitness and technical analysis of the car’s balance issues.

“We’ve had to work really hard in the last few weeks and sift through the data,” he explained. “It’s been much more beneficial because I was able to really concentrate on training and not get distracted, and also really comb through the ride stability, corner balance and mechanical balance of the car.”

Hamilton further revealed Ferrari experimented with a setup the team had never previously tried on his car.

“I’ve used a set-up that we’ve never tried before and it has changed the car for me, so I hope it serves us well through the rest of the weekend,” he said.

While Hamilton enjoyed a positive Friday in Canada, it proved to be a more frustrating session for Leclerc, who struggled with braking issues throughout Sprint Qualifying and ended up sixth on the grid behind his teammate.

“Honestly on my side I kind of expected it as I was not at ease with the car,” Leclerc admitted. “I am really struggling with the brakes for my side of the garage. Hopefully we can find something for tomorrow otherwise it’s going to be a very long race.”

The Canadian Grand Prix weekend also saw Hamilton strongly dismiss recent retirement rumours during Thursday’s FIA media day, insisting he remained fully committed to Ferrari and Formula One despite speculation surrounding his future.