The old fire still burns bright between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – but in Montreal on Sunday, it came wrapped in mutual admiration rather than animosity.
In a gripping finale to the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton delivered one of his finest performances yet as a Ferrari driver, charging past Verstappen late in the race to secure second place and continue the resurgence of his 2026 campaign.
The move itself was vintage Hamilton: bold, precise and fearless. After losing position to Verstappen earlier in the Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion launched a beautifully judged attack around the outside of Turn 1 during the closing stages.
Yet even after reclaiming the place, the Ferrari veteran was given no breathing room, with Verstappen glued to his gearbox in a tense sprint to the flag.
Hamilton revels in return to the front
For Hamilton, the podium carried emotional weight after what he described as a difficult adjustment period since his blockbuster switch to Ferrari.
"Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you to my team here,” Hamilton said in the post-race interviews conducted by his former McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.
“These guys have welcomed me with open arms, and it’s been pretty tough over the past year and a bit, so to finally find our sweet spot and have a good weekends, it’s an amazing feeling to be back up here.
"Especially with these guys [Mercedes] being so quick, and I actually got to have a race with Max, which was great.”
The result marked Hamilton’s best finish yet in Ferrari colours and offered another sign that both driver and team are beginning to unlock their full potential together.
Verstappen embraces the duel
Despite narrowly missing out to Hamilton, Verstappen was equally upbeat after an eventful afternoon in Canada, with the reigning world champion clearly relishing another chapter in their long-running rivalry.
"I am happy with that. Cool battle with Lewis [Hamilton] at the end,” commented the Dutchman.
"In a weekend when it's not that easy to get things right, to be on the podium is extremely positive.
"We need to keep improving better than our opposition. That's our target. We will see what we can do over the coming races."
The respect between the pair was even more evident moments later in Formula 1’s cooldown room, where fans were treated to a warm exchange between two of the sport’s defining figures.
"I couldn’t shake you!" Hamilton smiled as they reflected on their heated on-track battle.
Verstappen responded: "The middle chicanes, every time you’d pull three tenths, but then I just got it back on the straight," before Hamilton added, "It was mad."
The Dutchman also praised Hamilton’s speed through Turn 6, underlining the appreciation both drivers had for the quality of the contest.
Their rivalry, forged in the unforgettable intensity of the 2021 title fight, once represented the sharpest divide in modern Formula 1.
But while the competitive edge remains as fierce as ever on track, moments like Sunday’s in Montreal continue to show how much mutual respect has developed between the two champions in recent years.
