Hamilton Elated with Strong Finish at Canadian Grand Prix
British driver Lewis Hamilton expressed great satisfaction with his second-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, describing it as “the greatest job in the world” following an intense battle with his longtime rival Max Verstappen. Hamilton praised both his own performance and that of his Ferrari team, highlighting his excitement at returning to close wheel-to-wheel racing.
“I love this job it’s the greatest job in the world, I never take that for granted,” he said. “To have a good battle with Max finally, I’m really, really grateful. I am so, so happy. It’s good day of racing, overall, a solid weekend. I felt the whole team have done an amazing job.”
Starting the race in fifth position, Hamilton demonstrated strong pace early on, advancing to third place. However, Verstappen reclaimed the position on lap nine as Hamilton encountered difficulties with energy deployment. The seven-time world champion persevered and mounted a late-race challenge, ultimately overtaking Verstappen with a bold move around the outside of the first corner six laps from the finish. This result marks Hamilton’s best finish with Ferrari and his highest placement since his last second-place finish at the .
Hamilton’s initial season with Scuderia Ferrari was challenging, with the car lacking competitiveness while he adapted to the new team environment. He now feels the team and car setup have aligned well, enabling improved performance.
“There were so many elements that have to come together to get the car in the right place and I think I finally have that,” he said. “With the engineers I have got, the whole setup including the team. I really hope I can continue with this performance, I am much, much happier in the car.”
Race Winner Antonelli and Russell’s Retirement
The race was won by Kimi Antonelli, who engaged in a close contest with his Mercedes teammate George Russell from the start. The two drivers exchanged the lead three times before Russell was forced to retire on lap 30 due to a battery failure that caused a complete loss of power in his car.
“Just everything turned off all of a sudden. The engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking,” Russell said. “I’m a bit lost for words, can’t really say much more.”
Following this setback, Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the world championship standings. Despite the gap, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff remains optimistic about Russell’s prospects for recovery in the championship battle.
“It’s a 43-point gap but there are 17 more races to go, so many points to score this is going to go all the way to end,” he said. “He has to just chip away and George will rebound, there is no doubt about it.”
