Charles Leclerc (P4, 12 pts): 8/10
Fifth in the extended FP2 session on Friday, and second to Max Verstappen in final practice, things were looking pretty positive for Charles Leclerc heading into the weekend. We certainly didn't expect him to miss out on the final round of qualifying. But we don't blame the Monegasque for that, because as soon as he went out in Q2 he was feeding back to the team that he should be on slicks, not inters. The Ferrari pit wall put safety first and kept him out, and by the time he was finally on the slicks the golden moment seized by Alex Albon had passed and Leclerc couldn't find the pace in the worsening conditions to get him through. Maybe next time Ferrari will listen to their drivers? And perhaps Leclerc needs to be more assertive and forthright with his feedback in future. Starting from tenth place ahead of the penalised Carlos Sainz required a strategic solution, and the one stopper approach requiring a 39 lap stint on medium tyres was a big ask for any driver. By working with Sainz to relieve the pressure, Leclerc pulled it off and came close to challenging Lewis Hamilton for a spot on the podium. It was a much better outcome than many had been expecting given Ferrari's grid positions. Team and drivers certainly deserve credit for a calm, confident if low-key campaign.
Lewis Hamilton (P3, 15 pts): 9/10
Riding high on a double podium for Mercedes last time out in Canada, Lewis Hamilton was wary about predicting similar success this week at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. But actually, the weekend did much to confirm that the team really is on the right track at last and able to consistently carry the fight to the rivals. Well, Aston Martin and Ferrari at least, not Red Bull where Max Verstappen is in his own multiverse at the moment. Hamilton got a boost by topping the times at the end of the extended FP2 session on Friday, but he was quick to admit that this had just been a case of lucky timing with the conditions. Saturday was more of a battle for the team but Hamilton came out of qualifying as fourth fastest, with a penalty for Nico Hulkenberg resulting in Hamilton being subsequently bumped up to P3 where he was joined on the second row by George Russell. It put Hamilton on the clean side of the grid which he used to pick off Fernando Alonso in the run down to the first corner, but Alonso would get his own back after the first round of pit stops when it was clear that the Aston Martin was faster than the Mercedes in the slow speed corners. Hamilton teased with the idea of giving chase and taking second spot back in the latter half of the race, but in the end it was apparent to all that Alonso simply had the upper hand and Hamilton had to be content with joining an all-champion podium line-up in Montreal.
