Hamilton 'happy to be in the fight' after strong Sprint Qualifying

Credit: F1

Lewis Hamilton sealed his highest qualifying position of 2026, starting the Sprint from sixth for the Canadian Grand Prix.

After a difficult start to his sophomore season with Ferrari, Hamilton outqualified his teammate Charles Leclerc for the second time in 2026 with a 1:13.326. At one point in the session, the 41-year-old was on course for pole, but a snap of oversteer at Turn 2 hindered his second run. While he fell short of almost three-tenths to the McLaren's, Hamilton left the session feeling positive and comfortable with the car.

Heading into the weekend, the Briton took a new approach to preparing for the race, opting not to use the race simulator and instead focusing on analysing data. Following the qualifying session, Hamilton reflected on how impactful the change was:

“Yeah, we worked really hard sifting through the data in the last couple of weeks," Hamilton commented.

“I found that so much more beneficial in terms of one, I was able to just focus on training and not be distracted, and then the second part is just really going through with a fine comb with ride stability, through corner balances and mechanical balance.

“I chose a set-up that we’ve never used before and it’s transformed the car for me, so I hope that bodes well for the rest of the weekend," he said.

Hamilton labelled the second round of the season in China as his best result of the season, after sealing a fourth-place starting position for the sprint. After sealing fifth for the sprint in Canada, the Briton marked the session as "probably the best we've had for some time." Despite being behind the Mercedes and McLaren's, Hamilton delivered several quick laps, which helped boost his confidence.

“It’s probably the best Qualifying session we’ve had for some time,” Hamilton reflected.

“Great work with the engineers on the set-up changes – the car felt really fantastic from FP1. We made subtle changes going into Quali."

“SQ1 and SQ2 were looking good and then I don’t know why the others are able to turn up a little bit more, I don’t know. I’m just happy to be there in the fight," he added.

“I was having so much fun out there. Also, the fact that I didn’t do the sim and this is the best I’ve felt all year so I think that’s the way forward for me.”

The Canadian sprint will take place on May 23, with qualifying for the Grand Prix deciding the grid following the session.