Lewis Hamilton sounds alarm with Ferrari “at mercy of lack of power” at F1 Canadian GP

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari is “at the mercy" of its engine deficit to Mercedes after qualifying at Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton appeared to be challenging for the front row of the grid in Montreal but he ultimately qualified fifth behind the Mercedes and McLarens after late improvements in the final moments of Q3.

Hamilton was quick in the opening two sectors but consistently lost time in the final sector - largely made up of long straights - as Ferrari’s top speed weakness compared to Mercedes was once again underlined.

The 41-year-old Briton remains convinced Ferrari has one of the strongest aerodynamic packages, which is reflected in the SF-26’s impressive cornering performance, but it is the engine side that is letting the Italian team down.

"The guys at the factory have done an amazing job with the car,” Hamilton acknowledged after qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“We still have improvements to make. The car is fantastic but it is a battle of development through the season. Some people bringing upgrades one weekend and others the other.

“We’re just at the mercy of the lack of power that we have. Everyone is working very hard. Reliability is very good but when you are lacking that straight-line speed against the Mercedes, it is very, very tough.

“Nonetheless we have to expect for the rest of the season that’s just the way it is. So we’ll just see if we can continue to add onto the car and close the gap.

“If we’re quicker through the corners in some races maybe we can get closer to challenge the front guys.”

Ferrari is waiting to discover whether it will qualify to upgrade its power unit under the new ADUO rules for 2026 following this weekend’s race in Canada.

‘Unacceptable’’ qualifying for Leclerc

Charles Leclerc endured a frustrating qualifying as he struggled to match his team-mate’s pace and ended up a disappointing eighth.

The Monegasque was heard lamenting Ferrari’s shortcomings over his team radio during qualifying.

"In Q1 and Q2 we were having to slow down on the out laps. I struggled incredibly to put the tyres in the right window. I was just on ice all qualifying,” Leclerc explained.

"After resolving a good amount of problems on the brakes yesterday, I was hoping to find confidence, but I was all over the place in Q1 and Q2.

“Q3 I managed to gain some confidence and the tyres were finally in the right window. That allowed me to put in an acceptable lap at the end but P8 is not really acceptable to be honest.

“The lap in itself and the feeling was a bit better but it was just too late. Before that, there was not one lap where I could feel the car.”