Lewis Hamilton may have narrowly missed out on second place to Fernando Alonso, but he remained focused on the positives as Mercedes clinched consecutive podium finishes for the first time this season in the Canadian Grand Prix.
After trailing Max Verstappen of Red Bull in the previous race in Spain, the seven-time world champion successfully converted his third-place grid position into a third-place finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, engaging in an exhilarating battle with his Aston Martin rival Alonso.
Although Hamilton initially overtook Alonso at the start of the race, he slipped back behind the Spaniard as the race progressed. In the end, he crossed the finish line around five seconds adrift, with Verstappen leading the way, a further 10 seconds ahead.
Sharing his immediate thoughts after the race, Hamilton expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It’s honestly been a great weekend for us – we are slowly chipping away. The Astons took a little bit of a step this weekend when they added the upgrades, but we are working on bringing some more moving forwards. To just have this consistency and be up on the podium here in Montreal, which is such an incredible city, and we’ve got such a great crowd here every year without fail, so a big, big thank you to everyone here.”
When asked about the areas Mercedes needs to improve in order to challenge Aston Martin and Red Bull in the future, Hamilton identified rear downforce as a key focus area. He acknowledged the honor of being alongside two world champions and admitted that the team lacked pace on this particular circuit, struggling particularly in lower-speed corners. Hamilton highlighted the loss of traction out of Turn 2 and various other corners as the main factors contributing to his performance gap behind Alonso and Verstappen. However, he remained optimistic, stating that Mercedes is diligently working on enhancing rear downforce and efficiency, confident that progress is being made.
In the same race, Hamilton’s teammate George Russell suffered an early retirement after a significant collision with the wall. Despite this setback, Hamilton’s contribution ensured that Mercedes maintains its position ahead of Aston Martin for second place in the constructors’ standings.
With Mercedes aiming to close the gap to their competitors, the Canadian Grand Prix marked a step in the right direction for the team, leaving Hamilton hopeful for the future as they continue their relentless pursuit of success.
