As Formula 1 heads to Montreal for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, F1TV commentator and former driver Jolyon Palmer believes the weekend could serve as a pivotal moment for Lewis Hamilton, who has so far endured a tough start to life as a Ferrari driver.
Citing Hamilton’s history of success at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Palmer suggests the seven-time world champion might finally find the breakthrough he’s been seeking.
The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari at the start of this season, has won seven times in Canada and clinched his first-ever F1 victory there back in 2007.
However, his transition to the Scuderia has been anything but smooth, with his teammate Charles Leclerc consistently outperforming him in both qualifying and race conditions.
A Redemption Circuit for Hamilton
Palmer, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, reflected on both Hamilton’s track record in Montreal and Ferrari’s current form – highlighting its car’s efficiency in low-speed corners, which dominate the Canadian layout.
“They can’t go worse than that, can they? That’s the good thing for them. It was as bad as could be,” Palmer said, referring to Ferrari’s dismal Canadian Grand Prix weekend in 2024.
“Again, on paper, it’s a good track for Ferrari. The corners are basically all low-speed which is what allowed the car to work in Monaco.
“They didn’t have to worry about any high-speed setup. They could just run the car low to the ground and get it working.
“Again, they obviously flopped last year. They did completely mess up their qualifying strategy. If you’re Ferrari now you're thinking this is as good a shot as any. Also, Hamilton is brilliant in Montreal generally.
“This has got to be some sort of redemption circuit for Lewis I think.”
“Completely Dejected”: Pinkham on Hamilton’s Mood
Hamilton’s lacklustre season has been marked by inconsistency and frustration. After finishing sixth in Barcelona, overtaken by Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, questions continue to mount about his adaptation to Ferrari machinery and whether his best days are behind him.
Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham highlighted just how downcast Hamilton has appeared in recent race weekends, comparing it to previous highs and lows during his lengthy F1 career.
©Ferrari
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him – well I have over the last 14 years, not in recent memory – so low as he was in the pen in Monaco and then the pen in Barcelona,” Pinkham said.
“He was completely dejected. He had more questions than answers. A lot of soul-searching required. But as you say, we’ve seen these moments of brilliance — and the Lewis of old.
“We know it’s still there but he needs the stars to be aligned to deliver it and that’s not happening frequently enough.”
Leclerc’s Shadow and the Talent Gap
Palmer, however, challenged the notion that Hamilton has shown many “moments of brilliance” this season – barring his sprint qualifying performance in China – and pointed instead to Charles Leclerc’s relentless pace as a critical factor behind Hamilton’s subdued performances.
“Honestly, I can’t think what these moments of brilliance are that we’ve seen this year. China and the sprint qualifying in China, to do it over one lap was impressive,” Palmer explained.
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“So China, definitely. Other than that? Occasionally it looks like he can find his groove. Also there’s parts through a weekend where he’s mentioning Charles pretty well and you’re thinking they’re within a tenth either way.
“To me, he’s up [against] a prestigious talent in Charles Leclerc and Leclerc is going to be right up there with Max in terms of one-lap performance.
“We’ve seen it for years – some of his pole laps have been exquisite. Trying to match up to that is difficult. I also think Leclerc’s race pace is really underrated.”
With Ferrari seemingly well-suited to the Canadian circuit and Hamilton’s rich history in Montreal, all eyes will be on whether this race marks the beginning of a revival, or continues the questions surrounding the British star’s switch to red.
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