According to Sky Sports F1 experts Karun Chandhok and David Croft, the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix is a crucial event for Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time champion had a difficult race at the recent Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, where his teammate Charles Leclerc significantly outperformed him, marking possibly his toughest race yet with Ferrari.
Although Hamilton secured a Sprint race win in China earlier this season, he is still searching for his first Grand Prix podium finish with Ferrari after nine races, while Leclerc has achieved three podiums.
Following his disappointing showing in Spain, Hamilton heads to Canada, the site of his maiden F1 win, needing a strong performance to regain momentum.
On The F1 Show, Chandhok commented that the situation is becoming “a bit critical” as the season approaches its halfway point, noting Hamilton`s struggle to find consistent rhythm and comfort with the car week after week.
Chandhok highlighted Hamilton`s inconsistent performances, citing a poor qualifying in Imola followed by a strong race, and being significantly off Leclerc`s pace in Monaco.
Chandhok expressed concern, pointing to the Spanish GP where Leclerc easily overtook Hamilton and pulled away, suggesting a potential underlying issue.
After being consistently outpaced by his Mercedes teammate George Russell in 2024, the move to Ferrari was expected to revitalize Hamilton`s performance, but the pattern of inconsistency has largely persisted.
Chandhok added that if he were part of Hamilton`s team, he would be worried and emphasize the need to understand if there`s a fundamental setup issue with the car as the season nears its midpoint.
He clarified that he doesn`t doubt Hamilton`s ability, referencing his China Sprint win, but stressed the importance of finding a car setup that works consistently for him weekend after weekend, which is currently lacking.
Chandhok concluded that Hamilton`s performance fluctuations between good and bad days are too significant.
Could Hamilton Have Received a Morale Boost?
While Lewis Hamilton initially took responsibility for the large gap to Leclerc in Spain, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur later stated that a car problem affected Hamilton`s performance in the final laps.
Hamilton didn`t mention any car issues to the media after the race, but Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft suggested that understanding the technical problem could offer a boost to Hamilton`s morale.
Croft described Hamilton as being “so down” after Spain and noted Vasseur`s comment about a car issue in the final stint that hindered his performance, even if the specifics weren`t detailed by Ferrari.
Croft added that Hamilton lacked race pace for the majority of the race, not just the final part, implying the need for thorough analysis to identify the root cause.
Croft speculated that discovering a fundamental car issue could actually lift Hamilton`s spirits.
Croft highlighted Hamilton`s strong record in Canada, with seven wins and six poles (most recently in 2019), suggesting the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is an ideal location for him to rediscover his form.
Croft reiterated that the Canadian race is crucial for Hamilton due to his historical success and fondness for the track, where he achieved his first F1 pole position and victory.
Croft called Canada “Lewis Hamilton`s track,” emphasizing that another poor performance there, similar to Barcelona, would signal deeper problems.
Despite the concerns, Croft concluded by expressing belief in Hamilton`s ability, stating that if anyone can overcome this challenge, it`s the seven-time world champion.
