Lewis Hamilton defends simulator decision

Lewis Hamilton said during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend that he did not regret skipping simulator work before Ferrari’s trip to Montreal, after describing Friday’s sprint qualifying as his best feeling of the 2026 season. RacingNews365 reported Hamilton defended the approach after qualifying fifth for the sprint at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The report said Ferrari had made a “major” step in its preparation for the weekend. The race itself is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in Montreal, where Formula 1 is holding the first sprint weekend in Canada. ### What exactly did Hamilton defend in Montreal? Lewis Hamilton was defending his decision not to use the simulator as part of his preparation for the Canadian Grand Prix, according to RacingNews365. The outlet said Hamilton described sprint qualifying as “the best I’ve felt in 2026” after showing pace from the start of Friday’s running. (racingnews365.com) RacingNews365 reported Hamilton looked competitive through Friday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before taking fifth on the grid for the sprint. The same report said Hamilton believed a mistake on his final flying lap cost him a higher position. ### Why does the simulator choice matter at Ferrari? Ferrari was described by RacingNews365 as having made a “major” step in its preparation for the Canadian weekend, which put Hamilton’s personal approach into focus. (racingnews365.com) The report framed Hamilton’s comments as a defense of an unusual routine at a time when Ferrari was trying to improve its execution. Yahoo Sports separately reported on Saturday that the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in Montreal carried extra weight because it was the first time the event had been run as an F1 sprint weekend. That format compresses track time and increases the value teams place on preparation before arrival. ### How did Hamilton say the car felt? (racingnews365.com) Hamilton’s most direct takeaway, as quoted by RacingNews365, was that sprint qualifying was the best he had felt all year. The report said he was competitive from the outset on Friday, suggesting he believed the approach had worked for this circuit and format. A separate report carried by Yahoo Sports on May 24 said Hamilton agreed Ferrari had the pace to be “the car to beat” once one remaining weakness was addressed. (sports.yahoo.com) That report did not center on the simulator decision, but it added to the picture of Hamilton speaking positively about the car’s underlying potential in Montreal. ### What was happening around the Canadian Grand Prix weekend? (racingnews365.com) Formula 1’s official event page lists the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. The local event timetable showed sprint qualifying on Friday, the sprint and main qualifying on Saturday, and the grand prix on Sunday. Yahoo Sports said the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was due to begin at 2:50 p.m. (sports.yahoo.com) ET on Sunday, May 24. Another Yahoo preview said the Montreal stop was Canada’s first sprint weekend in Formula 1, making Hamilton’s Friday comments part of a more compressed and more scrutinized race build-up than usual. (formula1.com) ### What comes next after Hamilton’s remarks? Sunday, May 24, is the next key date, with the Canadian Grand Prix set for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after the sprint-format buildup in Montreal. Ferrari and Hamilton will have the race itself as the next test of whether the preparation gains and Hamilton’s no-simulator approach translate into a stronger result. (sports.yahoo.com)