Karun Chandhok Raises Questions About Lewis Hamilton’s Confidence in Ferrari Following Comments at the Canadian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has long been a dominant force at the Canadian Grand Prix. His impressive track record at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has fueled expectations that he might deliver a much-needed boost for Ferrari.
Hamilton has claimed victory at the Canadian GP seven times, sharing the record with F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Notably, his first-ever Formula 1 win came at this track back in 2007.
Although he hasn’t won in Montreal since 2019, it’s worth noting that the race wasn’t held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and his cars in recent years haven’t always been competitive enough to secure wins. Nevertheless, he still secured podium finishes in both 2022 and 2023, bringing his total podium count at this circuit to 10—making it one of his most successful tracks. Only five other venues have seen him finish in the top three more often:
Top F1 Circuits for Hamilton Podiums:
- 1st: Silverstone – 15
- =2nd: Barcelona – 12
- =2nd: Hungaroring – 12
- =4th: Sakhir – 11
- =4th: Spa – 11
- =6th: Montreal, Melbourne, Yas Marina – 10 each
Heading into the race weekend, Hamilton sits sixth in the drivers’ standings and has yet to finish on the podium this season. Despite scoring eight points in Spain, he expressed disappointment after being overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber, a customer car.
Chandhok Suggests Hamilton May Still Be Skeptical of Ferrari’s Engineering Approach
Speaking during the FIA press briefing on Thursday, Hamilton remarked that Ferrari’s setup strategy for the Canadian race was very different from what he had grown accustomed to during his years at Mercedes and McLaren. He mentioned that some of the team’s technical choices didn’t entirely make sense to him. Hamilton has expressed a strong desire to share the knowledge that brought him repeated success in Montreal.
During Sky Sports’ coverage of the second free practice session, former F1 driver and commentator Karun Chandhok interpreted Hamilton’s remarks as a sign that there might be lingering uncertainty or a lack of full trust between the British driver and his new team. Notably, Ferrari has only managed one win in Canada since 2004—when Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2018.
“What really caught my attention yesterday,” said Chandhok, “was how Lewis described Ferrari’s car setup for this weekend. It’s drastically different from anything he’s done with Mercedes or in previous years at this circuit.”
He added, “This is part of the adjustment process between the driver and the team. As a driver, you must be cautious about trying to change too much too soon. Engineers have the deep technical understanding necessary to make the car perform, and it’s essential to trust them.”
Chandhok concluded, “To me, this signals they’re still in the process of building mutual trust. Hamilton has been doing things his way for years, and while it worked for him, now he’s trying to determine whether Ferrari’s approach can also deliver results.”
Team Principal Fred Vasseur Guards Details About Hamilton’s Mysterious Spanish GP Issue
Following Hamilton’s comments in the drivers’ media session, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur appeared before the media on Friday. While most of the questions revolved around Hamilton’s future, one topic stood out—a cryptic issue Hamilton reportedly faced during the final stint of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton had alluded to a problem but indicated he wasn’t permitted to share specifics.
When questioned about it, a visibly irritated Vasseur replied, “When I say I won’t disclose something during the press conference, please don’t come back ten minutes later—or even the following Friday—to ask again. I’m not going to explain. That’s it. Period.”
When pressed further, he sarcastically remarked, “We put the front wheel at the rear.”
Despite the tension, Hamilton defended his under-pressure team boss heading into the Canadian GP, echoing the loyalty once shown by Michael Schumacher toward Ferrari leadership during challenging times.
