Following a torrid debut season with Ferrari in ground effect era of cars he never fully managed to gel with, Hamilton looks far more comfortable in this year's SF-26. His P2 result in Montreal is his second podium finish already this season, something he failed to achieve in the entirety of 2025.

A key factor in this success, according to the Briton, is his decision to abandon simulator work prior to Grands Prix. Hamilton chose not to use the "powerful tool" in the build up to his P3 finish in Shanghai, and revealed his intention to do the same in Canada, yet again reaping the benefit.

While Ferrari have certainly looked competitive throughout 2026's opening stages, the Italian squad are simply not on equal footing with championship leaders Mercedes, or arguably Red Bull, when it comes to straight-line speed. However, Hamilton believes that Monaco, by far the slowest circuit on the F1 calendar, could benefit a Ferrari that has looked strong in the corners.

Speaking to media, including GPblog, after the Canadian GP, Hamilton explained that Ferrari are "in the fight" once their power deficit to their rivals is taken away, having been asked whether he can hope for victory around the iconic Monte Carlo streets.

Hamilton said: "I mean, that’s the one track that power is not king. I think that’s definitely car performance. I think our car could be really strong there. I’m really going to focus on making sure I arrive with the same energy as I had this weekend, really study hard with the engineers to make sure we position the car in the right place from Practice 1.

The seven-time world champion also made reference to F1's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO), which will allow manufacturers over 2% behind the grid's current power unit benchmark (Mercedes) to get an extra upgrade in the current season and an additional one in the following season.

Meanwhile, despite being one of the more positive drivers towards the 2026 rules, Hamilton could not deny racing so far this season "doesn’t feel what motorsport should be."

Speaking to media, including GPblog, at the Canadian GP press conference, Hamilton said: "It’s definitely not second nature, that’s for sure. I think it still continues to be a weird feeling. You go down the power, you open up the SM, and then the power dies like halfway down the straight and the RPM starts dropping. It doesn’t feel what motorsport should be. The engine should be ringing its neck off right to the end of the straight and just pulling and pulling. That’s what they used to do in the V8 times or the V10 times. They would just pull and pull.