The four-time and three-time reigning series champion took the NTT P1 Award for the Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear with a lap of 1:01.9017 in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

It was Palou’s 16th career pole and the first time he has taken three in a row in IndyCar. The streak is especially impressive because it has come across three very different challenges: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the IMS oval for the Indianapolis 500, and Detroit’s nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit.

“I felt really good with my lap,” Palou said. “I thought there was not much more margin from my side, so I just tried to put everything together. So happy to make it to the pole, and we stayed there. Good stint, but the big day is tomorrow.”

Detroit Grand Prix qualifying results

Palou continues remarkable qualifying run

Palou was fourth in the running order during the Firestone Fast Six, the one-lap final shootout that decides pole. Once his time was posted, nobody could knock him off the top.

He will now try to convert pole into his fourth victory in eight starts this season in Sunday’s 100-lap race. Palou has already won on the streets of Detroit once before, taking victory in 2023 when the event returned downtown after three decades on Belle Isle.

Two-time series champion Will Power produced his best qualifying result of the season and will start alongside Palou on the front row. Power set a 1:02.1249 in the No.26 TWG AI Honda for Andretti Global.

Scott McLaughlin was the quickest Chevrolet-powered driver in the manufacturer’s home race, qualifying third in the No.3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet with a 1:02.4559.

Scott Dixon completed the second row in fourth for Chip Ganassi Racing, while Christian Lundgaard recovered from an engine change after a morning practice issue to qualify fifth for Arrow McLaren. Kyle Kirkwood, who led practice earlier in the day, qualified sixth after a lock-up and two major slides on his Firestone Fast Six run.

Malukas setback gives Palou chance to extend lead

David Malukas endured more frustration just one week after losing the Indianapolis 500 by 0.0233 seconds to Felix Rosenqvist in the closest finish in race history.

Malukas crashed heavily at Turn 7 near the end of the first qualifying round in the No.12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. He was unhurt, but the damage means he will start last in the 25-car field.

That could prove significant for the championship. Palou leads Malukas by 37 points entering the race and will start from pole while his nearest challenger begins at the back.

“I would not change the position that we have right now, but it’s tough, man,” Palou said. “It’s a crazy race. We know the strategies are going to be moving up and down. So, hopefully we can get a clean start, start working from there and choose our strategies.”

Rosenqvist also failed to advance from the first round and will start 16th for Meyer Shank Racing. Palou has already made qualifying look routine in 2026, but Detroit rarely gives anyone an easy afternoon. If he can control the race from the front, the championship picture may begin to tilt even further in his favour.

The post Detroit Grand Prix qualifying results: Alex Palou extends pole streak appeared first on Total Motorsport.

The British driver came into the season knowing he had a great chance of winning his first title as the Mercedes car immediately looked so strong, and he is the senior driver in the team.

In recent weeks, though, Kimi Antonelli has managed to build an impressive lead at the top of the standings, and a power unit-induced retirement for Russell in Canada was a serious blow.

Russell’s first DNF of the season rings alarm bells

The former Williams driver started the season with a victory and a P2 finish, but he has since failed to make the podium. He finished P4 in both Japan and Miami, before retiring in Montreal in the midst of a vicious battle with his teammate for the lead.

Thanks to Antonelli winning the last four races, he now has an impressive 43-point lead over his teammate. There is still a long way to go and a lot of points to be won, but it is clear that Russell has to start beating his teammate regularly if he is to take advantage of the car Mercedes have built.

Speaking after Sunday’s race to the press, including Total-Motorsport.com, Toto Wolff explained that he has every faith in Russell‘s mentality when it comes to bouncing back from this disappointment and continuing to fight for the title.

“Things have gone against him over the last few races, and today would certainly have been big points to collect. He was in the lead. But if there’s one guy in this paddock I’d choose in terms of resilience and determination, it would be George,” Wolff said.

“He’s had to overcome adversity all throughout his career, from karting through the junior formulas, and he’s not going to give up that fight. Honestly, there are still 17 races to go, if my calculations are right, and there are so many points still available.

“So this is really about waking up tomorrow, digesting it, forgetting it, moving forward, and driving the best you can. And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.”

Wolff clears up his radio messages

During the intense fighting between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, everyone was waiting to see how the Mercedes pit wall would react.

It was clear that the pair were being allowed to race, but it was unclear from the radio messages just how content Toto Wolff was with the ferocity.

“I think we want to look at the footage from today and have them come to the right conclusions themselves about whether that level of fighting was acceptable, and if so, why,” Wolff explained.

“We’ll explain why we think one or two situations could have been avoided and ask what they want to do to mitigate those risks. But definitely, more than ever, this fight is on. There’s so much at stake for both drivers.

“As a team, as uncomfortable as it sometimes is, you have to accept that this is the fight they’ve been trained for. But equally, if we believed the team’s points were genuinely at risk, or if we were losing too much time to competitors behind, then we wouldn’t hesitate for a millimeter to put the handbrake on.”

When asked about the instruction to ‘tidy it up’ during the race, Wolff said: “Asking them to tidy it up doesn’t mean stopping the racing. You still allow them to race, but you’re basically saying, ‘You’re on watch.’

“We had a few situations that could have ended in DNFs, and as a driver, you’re fully aware of where you place your car and how much risk you want to take.”

The post Toto Wolff points to George Russell’s ‘resilience and determination’ amid Canada disappointment appeared first on Total Motorsport.

With Paris Saint-Germain facing Arsenal in the 2026 Champions League final in Budapest, several drivers on the F1 grid have a personal stake in the outcome. Lewis Hamilton will be watching as a long-time Arsenal supporter, while the French trio of Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar are firmly in the PSG camp.

Football has long been a major part of life for many drivers, whether through family influence, hometown loyalty or childhood memories away from racing. Some allegiances are well known, others are more casual, but the 2026 grid features supporters of clubs from England, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Argentina and Mexico.

F1 drivers and the football teams they support

PSG and Arsenal split the Formula 1 paddock

The Champions League final gives the current grid a ready-made divide. Hamilton is a boyhood Arsenal fan, largely because of his sister’s encouragement when he was young.

The Ferrari driver celebrated Arsenal’s Premier League title earlier this month by posting “Come On You Gunners” on Instagram, and also sent a good luck message to the team before the final.

The seven-time world champion has seen Arsenal come close to European glory before, most notably in the 2006 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona. Now, with the club back on the biggest stage, he will be hoping they finally claim their first Champions League crown.

Oscar Piastri will also be leaning towards Arsenal, though his connection is more indirect. The McLaren driver has described himself as an Arsenal supporter “by default” because his partner’s family follow the Gunners.

On the other side, Gasly, Ocon and Hadjar all support Paris Saint-Germain, the dominant force in French football. The trio attended PSG’s 2-0 win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals earlier this year, and will be hoping the Parisian side can defend the Champions League title they won last season.

The 2025 final was an emotional one for Gasly and Hadjar, who watched PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 during the Barcelona race weekend before appearing in PSG colours on Sunday. Gasly also has a deeper football connection as a co-owner of French club FC Versailles.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United have F1 support

Spain’s two veteran drivers both have strong ties to Real Madrid. Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso support the Spanish giants through family influence. Carlos Sainz Sr even had trials for Real Madrid as a teenager, while both drivers have regularly shown their support for the club over the years.

Real Madrid were knocked out by Bayern Munich in this season’s Champions League quarter-finals, but their European record means Sainz and Alonso have had plenty to celebrate in recent years.

Nico Hulkenberg backs Bayern Munich and was at the Allianz Arena when the German champions were edged out by PSG over two legs in the semi-finals. The Audi driver is also a committed supporter of the German national team.

Arvid Lindblad and Lando Norris both have links to Manchester United. Lindblad, in his first Formula 1 season with Racing Bulls, supports the 13-time Premier League champions, while Norris followed United during Cristiano Ronaldo’s first spell at the club.

Norris was more of a MotoGP fan growing up, but football was still part of his childhood, including trips to Bristol City because of his father’s connections with the club.

Verstappen, Leclerc and Antonelli keep it local

Some drivers have stayed loyal to clubs closely tied to their roots. Charles Leclerc supports AS Monaco, the club from his home principality.

Monaco completed the double over PSG this season and narrowly missed out on a Champions League upset after losing 5-4 on aggregate to the Parisian side. Leclerc is also known for playing in charity football matches in Monaco alongside other F1 drivers.

Max Verstappen supports PSV Eindhoven, having attended matches with his father Jos Verstappen when he was younger. It has been another successful period for the Dutch club, who secured a third straight league title and their 27th overall.

The Red Bull driver is also close to Dutch football culture and has been seen with national team stars including Virgil van Dijk and Memphis Depay.

Kimi Antonelli supports Bologna, the club from his home city. His father initially wanted him to play football, but growing up between Imola and Ferrari’s Maranello base helped push him towards karting.

Even so, Antonelli has kept his connection to Bologna, meeting the squad during last year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. While the club’s last league title came in 1964, the Mercedes driver has seen them enjoy a strong modern spell, including a Coppa Italia win in 2025 and recent European campaigns.

Russell, Colapinto and Perez follow family and national passions

George Russell supports Wolverhampton Wanderers, following the influence of his father, a long-time season ticket holder.

The Mercedes driver has returned to Molineux several times to watch Wolves, although recent results have been difficult after the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

For Franco Colapinto, football loyalty comes from one of the sport’s most intense cities. The Buenos Aires-born Alpine driver supports Boca Juniors, one of Argentina’s most famous clubs.

Boca have won 35 domestic league titles and six Copa Libertadores crowns. Colapinto visited La Bombonera in 2022, where he was presented with a special shirt and walked out onto the pitch.

Sergio Perez supports Club America, one of Mexico’s biggest and most successful clubs. Based in Mexico City, Club America play at the Estadio Azteca and have won a record 16 league titles, along with seven CONCACAF Champions Cup or Champions League titles.

Formula 1 may be their profession, but football remains a powerful connection point across the grid. And with Arsenal and PSG fighting for Europe’s biggest club prize, the paddock will have more than a few divided loyalties.

The post Which football team does each Formula 1 driver support? appeared first on Total Motorsport.

Traditionally, the affectionately named ‘silly season’ tends to kick off during the August summer break and sees almost every driver and team boss get linked with a new job. The timing can be changeable, though, depending on how many drivers have already got uncertain futures.

Whilst we are only at the fifth race weekend of the season, thanks to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia being cancelled, there are all sorts of rumours flying around the paddock. They are not just limited to driver lineup changes, either. Team principals and engineers have also been dragged into the fun.

Stella silences Piastri to Red Bull rumours

When asked at Friday’s press conference about the myriad of rumours around his McLaren team, Andrea Stella first chose to focus on the suggestion that Oscar Piastri‘s future could lie away from the Papaya team.

There has been talk that Max Verstappen could follow race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren when he makes the move before 2028, and that would lead Piastri to head in the other direction and drive for Red Bull Racing.

As far as Stella is concerned, Piastri and McLaren are very happy right now: “Well, I think the reaction is in your question. You mentioned the silly season, and I think we are already fully in this silly season. When we think about Oscar, we couldn’t be happier. I think we are seeing the best Oscar in the cockpit and also a happy Oscar, and the best version of himself outside the cockpit.

“Great dynamics and relationship with Lando, and I think the team is in its strongest shape since I’ve been Team Principal. So definitely it’s very clear, the direction for maximum stability at McLaren.”

Could Stella join Ferrari?

There have also been reports claiming that Andrea Stella could be set to make a return to Ferrari in the near future, having been an engineer for the Scuderia between 2000 and 2014.

The McLaren man had no issues putting those rumours to bed, explaining that he has new goals that he is yet to achieve with the British team, whilst he is looking forward to Lambiase‘s arrival in the future.

“When it comes to myself, I’m definitely fully committed to McLaren. One of the things that makes me more proud of my experience as a Team Principal is that we managed to fill the cabinet at MTC with trophies, and this meant that we needed to create another area of the cabinet, a new one,” Stella said.

“And for me the mission is very clear: we need to fill that new area of the cabinet for the years to come at McLaren. And GP? It’s very simple. At McLaren, we want to employ the best people in Formula 1, the best expertise, the best leaders. And the fact that GP decided to join McLaren, for me, just speaks to the credibility of our team. So, silly season, what’s important for us is stability and that the best talents in Formula 1 want to join McLaren.”

The post McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says we’re ‘fully in silly season’ amid Ferrari and Red Bull links appeared first on Total Motorsport.

It was supposed to be a dream switch for driver, team and fans alike, with the most successful driver statistically joining the most successful team. But the first season was anything but straightforward for the seven-time champion.

For a start, Ferrari were off the pace in the final season of the ground effect era. The Scuderia opted to change its own design philosophy despite a strong end to 2024 and that proved a mistake, leaving the team behind McLaren and Red Bull.

That didn’t stop an early glimmer of hope, as Hamilton took victory in the Chinese Sprint just two rounds into his Ferrari career, before the wheels came off with disqualification for both him and team-mate Charles Leclerc a day later.

Fast forward to 2026 and there had already been plenty of speculation surrounding Hamilton’s future in the sport, something the Briton has played down in no uncertain terms.

“Yep. I’m still in contract. So everything’s 100% clear to me. And yeah, I’m still focused. I’m still motivated,” Hamilton told media ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

“I still love what I do with all my heart. And I’m going to be here for quite some time. So get used to it. There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me. And that’s not even on my thoughts.

“I’m already thinking of what will be next. And planning for the next five years. But yeah, I still plan to be here for some time.”

Hamilton finds fresh confidence in Canada

That bullishness was backed up by a return to a venue where Hamilton has prospered across his glittering career, and somewhere he always seems to get the best out of his car.

Yet Hamilton approached the weekend with a new tactic, one that saw him ditch the now traditional simulator preparation.

It seemed to work. A strong Sprint Qualifying on Friday saw him comfortably ahead of Leclerc and, for long periods, fighting with Mercedes and McLaren for the front two rows on the grid.

“That’s probably the best qualifying session we’ve had for some time,” Hamilton said. “Just really great work with the engineers, setup changes, the car felt really fantastic from FP1, and we made just 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. But I’m just happy to be there in the fight. I was having so much fun out there. And also, the fact that I didn’t do the sim, and it was the best I’ve felt all year, so I think that’s the way forward for me.”

It was clear it was a strategy that was working as he held his own in the Sprint, while in qualifying, Hamilton was a genuine pole contender in what turned out to be a thrilling five-way battle for the top spot.

In the race, while McLaren made a strategic blunder and Mercedes were in a class of one before George Russell retired, Hamilton was best of the rest.

Falling behind Max Verstappen may have masked that initially, but the Ferrari driver’s pace to close on the Red Bull and then make a brilliant overtake into Turn 1 late on for second, his best finish in red machinery so far, was much more like the champion we were used to seeing before the ground effect era.

Ferrari simulator call could shape Hamilton’s season

Perhaps most tellingly, the body language of the SF-26 under Hamilton’s control was far more alive than at previous events, with the Briton clearly more confident in throwing the car into corners.

“If you look at the two best races I’ve had, I didn’t use a simulator,” Hamilton explained after his podium.

“That’s honestly how it was. All the championships before, except for probably 2008, I didn’t use a sim. It’s not a necessity. It’s a tool that can be powerful, but for me, I’m old school. I’m probably better without it.

“What could be good is, for example, going back and doing correlation to this weekend so we can find out where it’s missing, because the test driver will be on there saying it’s all good. They only know what they know because they don’t get to drive. Only Charles and I get to drive the car.”

Monaco will provide further clarity as to whether Hamilton’s new direction is behind the uptick in form, but it is hard to argue against the move based on Canada.

For Ferrari, the result was more than just a podium. It was evidence that Hamilton can still unlock something special when the car gives him confidence.

And for Hamilton, the weekend offered something just as valuable: proof that his instinct, preparation style and feel behind the wheel still have the power to change the mood of an entire Ferrari campaign.

The post How Lewis Hamilton’s bold Canada call has invigorated life at Ferrari appeared first on Total Motorsport.

Russell entered the Canadian Grand Prix weekend needing to stop the rot after three consecutive victories for his Italian Mercedes team-mate, though pace through practice and the early stages of Sprint Qualifying put Antonelli on top.

Yet when it counted, the Briton found a lap to snatch pole for the Sprint and swing the momentum, which was the trigger for a feisty Saturday Sprint.

Russell led from the front, but when Antonelli came to attack at Turn 1 after sustained pressure, the Australian GP winner left no space on the outside, forcing the teenager across the grass and narrowly avoiding wiping out both Mercedes cars.

That left Antonelli irked over what he perceived as an illegal defence from Russell, with team principal Toto Wolff forced to take on the role of pacifier over team radio.

But that was just a precursor to what would be seen in the first half of Sunday’s Grand Prix, with Russell ahead on the grid after qualifying.

Antonelli and Russell take the gloves off in Canada

It felt as though every lap of the first 29 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve saw the Silver Arrows side by side, with the battle kept alive by numerous errors made by Russell at the hairpin.

One moment would have made Wolff and the Mercedes pit wall wince as Antonelli lost downforce under the rear wing of Russell’s car, locked up and somehow avoided an accident, perhaps more through luck than judgement.

The race was shaping up to almost replicate the 2014 Bahrain GP battle that saw Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg go back and forth for the lead in the same team, but the tussle was broken up when Russell retired with a mechanical issue on Lap 29.

That handed Antonelli a clear route to a fourth consecutive win and extended his championship lead, but the fight still has 17 rounds to play out.

Now, the Mercedes hierarchy faces a decision. Will the pair be free to race as normal, or will rules of engagement be used before the battle becomes too costly?

It is a similar scenario to the one McLaren found itself in last season, ironically after contact between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the same Montreal venue.

Papaya rules then became a narrative for the rest of the season, sometimes to the team’s detriment. Mercedes will want to avoid allowing its own title fight to become similarly defined by internal management.

Wolff admits Mercedes must review the risk

“It’s always easy at the end now to say, ‘Well, that was great for the team and great for the sport, didn’t we all enjoy watching the battling?’ That is true to a degree, but there is another side which we need to look at, that it was close a few times,” Wolff said, suggesting discussions would be held.

“Kimi tucking back in and locking the tyres could have ended up in a double DNF and not because of over-aggressive driving, simply by a mistake. The same through the last chicane with that situation.

“It’s important to analyse the race and discuss with the drivers whether they felt it was a bit close and if that is the case, how can we avoid these very, very tough situations where we deem it a little bit too close.”

Whatever happens behind the scenes before Monaco, and despite the disappointment of losing so much ground through his retirement, Russell should take encouragement from the way his aggression exposed Antonelli emotionally.

That may still be where his experience can turn the tide. Antonelli has the points, the momentum and the wins. But Canada showed Russell still has the pace and the nerve to put him under pressure.

The gloves are off now. The next question is how far Mercedes will allow the fight to go.

The post Gloves off between Antonelli and Russell: How will Mercedes respond? appeared first on Total Motorsport.

Fans around the world had been quite intrigued by the latest, and major, power unit revolution that saw engines this season feature a 50/50 power split between a typical internal combustion engine (ICE) and then new electrical system. It was a marked shift as the ICE 1.6 litre turbocharged engine output dropped from roughly 550KW to 400KW, whilst the electric generation jumped from 120KW to 350KW.

For those who follow LiveScore Sports News closely, they will remember the breaking news headlines and stir that these changes made when they were originally announced.

That was not the only enforced, and agreed upon change, ahead of the new race year as on a none technical front drivers have been required to effectively relearn how to drive to the most optimal conditions – balancing top line speed with energy consumption and energy generation to best time its use – as opposed to the more traditional ‘peddle to the metal’ approach depending on your need and risk level.

It has obviously has a noticeable impact on the Grand Prix’s that have taken place so far, fan entertainment levels and also driver frustration levels with some taking to the new changes better than other. Unsurprisingly Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been one of the most vocal critics so far and he is down in seventh place with only 26 points picked up so far in the standings, and he had barbed a few weeks back that not only was he not enjoying it anymore as it was not racing now, he threatened that he was seriously considering quitting the sport.

With him not being the only driver to air complaints though, recent further changes ahead of the 2927 campaign have now been agreed upon in principle and it will see a pivot back to ICE power as an offset to give the race experience a more traditional feel to it once again.

This has gone over well with race teams and drivers themselves and in more recent days the 28 year old four time World Champion Dutchman has declared that with racing going ‘almost back to normal’ he might now actually stay with the sport.

Given how Verstappen actually splits the F1 fanbase that news will undoubtedly receive a mixed reaction, but there is no denying his skill and talent as a driver on the track and F1 would be far poorer for his departure, whether or not he is liked on a more personal basis.

Fellow World Champion Lando Norris certainly agreed with Verstappen’s sentiment about the changes that had now been agreed in principle following the complaints, and the reality that the changes have had and can be visibly seen on the race track, as he commented himself that whilst the compromise had been far from ‘perfect’ is was certainly a ‘great direction’ for the sport to have gone back in and it would definitely be welcomed by all drivers.

That was echoed by teammate by Oscar Piastri who agreed it was ‘a step in the right direction’ but was forthright that the problems that were created had not been ‘fixed’.

With the changes agreed in principle only so far, it will be interesting to see what the final product now becomes as we head closer to the new campaign.

The post Verstappen Won’t Quit After F1 Agrees Engine Changes In Principle appeared first on Total Motorsport.

Hamilton returned to the scene of his first Formula 1 victory and delivered a timely breakthrough for Ferrari, finishing second in Montreal after chasing down and passing Max Verstappen in the closing stages.

It was Hamilton’s best Grand Prix result for Ferrari, improving on his third place in China, and came after a weekend in which he had the edge over Charles Leclerc for much of the event.

The seven time world champion started fifth, passed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and later hunted down Verstappen on medium tyres to secure second behind Kimi Antonelli.

For a driver whose Ferrari spell has been defined by frustration, speculation and long spells of inconsistency, Montreal felt like a major step forward.

“Yeah, I had so much fun out there all weekend,” Hamilton told the press, including Total-Motorsport.com, after the race. “Every single lap. I felt like we started on the right foot, came with the right attitude and the car really generally felt great.

“And so, to come to Montreal, a track that I do love, and get to enjoy a Sprint weekend here, which is the first that we’ve had [here], was awesome. And this is my first second place with the team.”

Hamilton enjoys Ferrari breakthrough in Canada

Hamilton has had flashes of promise since joining Ferrari, including his Sprint win in China, but the Canadian GP was his clearest sign yet that he can consistently fight near the front in red.

He admitted the result had required a huge effort behind the scenes, with both driver and team still working to unlock a package that has not always suited him.

“It’s something I’ve been working so hard, I can’t even begin to explain how deep I’ve had to dig to be able to get to this point, and the work and moving mountains in the background to enable this sort of performance,” Hamilton said.

“But I’m really grateful to the team for continuing to hold me up high and support me weekend in, weekend out.

“It was awesome, absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats [Verstappen]. It was massively challenging.”

The fight with Verstappen was one of the highlights of the race. The Red Bull driver had the upper hand in the opening stint, but Hamilton came alive after switching to medium tyres and made the decisive pass late on.

That gave Ferrari a badly needed podium and offered Hamilton encouragement heading into the next phase of the season.

Hamilton questions Ferrari simulator value

The most intriguing part of Hamilton’s weekend came before the race had even started.

Ahead of the Canadian GP, Hamilton revealed he had chosen not to prepare in Ferrari’s simulator at Maranello, arguing that it had not correlated well enough with real track conditions so far this season.

He had taken the same approach before China, which had previously been his best weekend with Ferrari. After repeating that pattern in Canada, Hamilton now appears ready to continue with the same method.

“I’m sure I would drive it [the simulator] at some point,” Hamilton said. “I think what could be good is, for example, going back and doing correlation to this weekend so we can find out where it’s missing.

“Because the test driver will be on there saying it’s all… they will only know what they know because they don’t get to drive.

“It’s only Charles and me who get to drive the car. So, the positive of something like being able to drive the real car, go back and say, ‘This is actually what it feels like. These are the things that we’re missing,’ and so that we can improve it.”

Hamilton stressed he still wants to help Ferrari improve the simulator, but he is less convinced it should form a central part of his own race preparation.

“I’m always there to help the team move forward and develop it,” Hamilton added. “Now, whether or not I use it to prepare for another race? Probably not.

“There are just too many risks. If you look at the two best races I’ve had, I didn’t use a simulator. And that’s honestly how it was. Pretty much all the championships before, except for probably 2008, I didn’t use the sim. So it’s not a necessity. It’s a tool that can be powerful.

“But for me, I’m old school. I’m probably better without it.”

For Hamilton, the message from Canada was clear. He is not rejecting Ferrari’s technology outright, but he appears increasingly confident that his instincts, data work and real world feel may be more valuable than extensive simulator preparation.

After the best Grand Prix result of his Ferrari career, it is a theory he now has strong evidence to support.

The post Lewis Hamilton says he’s “probably better without” Ferrari simulator after Canada breakthrough appeared first on Total Motorsport.

Antonelli left the Canadian GP with his fourth consecutive Formula 1 victory and a 43-point lead over teammate George Russell, who retired from the lead in Montreal after a technical failure.

The result strengthened Antonelli’s grip on the 2026 drivers’ standings, but it also brought the 19 year old further into the spotlight as the title fight begins to take shape around the two Mercedes drivers.

Villeneuve, who won the 1997 Formula 1 world championship in only his second season, knows how quickly momentum can shift in a title race. Speaking after the Canadian GP, the Canadian said Antonelli now has to prove he can stay composed when the pressure increases.

“He needs to keep his head cool, not start believing too much in his own hype,” Villeneuve said. “That’s a very dangerous thing to do. When you think that you’re untouchable, that’s when mistakes happen, and you have a DNF, like Russell today, or you have an accident, you lose 25 points, the gap changes a lot, and suddenly you start doubting yourself.”

Villeneuve warns Antonelli over title pressure

Antonelli has been the standout driver of the 2026 season so far, adapting rapidly in his second F1 campaign and turning Mercedes’ pace advantage into a run of victories.

But Villeneuve believes the danger now is not speed, but mentality. The 1997 champion said Antonelli is driving so close to the limit that the key question is how he will react when a weekend finally goes wrong.

“So that is the big risk,” Villeneuve said. “Right now, he’s driving on the edge every lap, and to the point where you think, ‘Wow, he’s keeping it on the track,’ things go well, things go right. It won’t always be like this. So, how will he react when one thing goes wrong? That will be the key thing.”

That warning carries added weight after the Canadian GP, where Antonelli and Russell fought hard for the lead before the Briton’s retirement.

The pair had already come close in their on track battle, with Antonelli later admitting parts of the fight were “on the edge”. For now, the championship momentum is clearly with the Italian, but Villeneuve believes the first setback will reveal far more about his title credentials.

Russell urged to respond in Mercedes fight

While Villeneuve warned Antonelli about the danger of overconfidence, he also suggested Russell needs to rediscover belief after another major setback in his championship campaign.

Russell had taken Sprint pole, won the Sprint and claimed Grand Prix pole in Montreal, but his race ended while he was fighting for victory. Instead of cutting Antonelli’s lead, he left Canada 43 points behind.

“But right now, he is quicker than George,” Villeneuve said of Antonelli. “He’s got him covered. What’s important for the team is that George wakes up a little bit and starts believing in himself again.”

That assessment reflects the growing tension inside Mercedes. Antonelli has the points, the victories and the momentum, while Russell has repeatedly shown enough speed to challenge but has seen key opportunities slip away.

Villeneuve added that Antonelli will inevitably be thinking about the championship, even if drivers often try to play down title talk this early in the season.

“Of course,” Villeneuve said when asked if Antonelli would have the championship in mind. “A season is a roller coaster. There’s a period where everything goes well, and suddenly something goes wrong.

“A race or two, you go beyond. That’s the danger. And people think, ‘Oh, you won’t win it anymore.’ And then the other guy starts believing it, and it’s a roller coaster. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

For Antonelli, the message is clear. His advantage is real, his form is exceptional, and Mercedes look like the benchmark team in 2026.

But as Villeneuve knows better than most, winning a first Formula 1 title is not just about speed. It is about surviving the moments when momentum turns, pressure rises and the mistakes that once seemed distant suddenly become very easy to make.

The post Jacques Villeneuve warns Kimi Antonelli not to “believe his own hype” appeared first on Total Motorsport.

The Canadian GP driver ratings are shaped by a dramatic Formula 1 weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Up until race day Russell had dominated the Montreal weekend taking Sprint pole, Sprint victory and Grand Prix pole before a power unit issue ended his race after a brillant fight with Antonelli for the win.

Behind the Mercedes duo, Lewis Hamilton delivered one of his strongest drives yet for Ferrari, Lando Norris showed why McLaren could still be dangerous, and Oscar Piastri endured a nightmare race that summed up his difficult start to 2026.

F1 driver ratings for the 2026 Canadian GP

George Russell (Mercedes) 9/10
Russell was outstanding across the weekend. He took Sprint Qualifying pole, won the Sprint under huge pressure, then denied Antonelli again with a brilliant final lap in Grand Prix Qualifying. His race retirement was cruel because, until the power unit issue, he looked like the only driver capable of beating his teammate on pure performance.

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 8/10
Antonelli claimed another Grand Prix win and extended his championship lead, but this was not his cleanest weekend. He was beaten by Russell in both qualifying sessions and the Sprint, then inherited control of the race after his teammate retired. Still, his pace, composure and late race control were excellent.

Lando Norris (McLaren) 8/10
Norris was rapid in the dry and produced a sensational start in mixed conditions to lead the Grand Prix from third on the grid. The intermediate tyre call ruined his race early, and a gearbox problem eventually ended it, but his speed across the weekend deserved a strong score.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 7/10
Verstappen never had the outright pace to fight Mercedes, but he extracted a solid podium from a difficult weekend. He qualified sixth, lacked straight line speed, then drove a measured race to finish third after briefly looking set for second before Hamilton passed him late on.

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 7.5/10
Hamilton built his weekend well after showing strong pace in Sprint Qualifying. He faded late in the Sprint but was much better on Sunday, recovering from early power complaints to pass Verstappen around the outside at Turn 1 and take a deserved second place.

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 5/10
Charles Leclerc struggled to match Hamilton in the key moments. He was only eighth in Grand Prix Qualifying, lost time behind Isack Hadjar, and finished fourth, but he never looked like a genuine podium threat once the race settled.

Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 7.5/10
Franco Colapinto delivered another excellent weekend for Alpine. He reached Q3, ran cleanly in mixed conditions, and brought home sixth place. It was a mature, high value drive in a race where others made mistakes.

Carlos Sainz (Williams) 7/10
Carlos Sainz did a strong job to recover from a quiet Sprint weekend and score points for Williams. His race was tidy, controlled and exactly the kind of result Williams needed after a rough start to the event.

Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 6.5/10
Liam Lawson missed Sprint Qualifying because of a hydraulic issue, then made up ground in the Sprint and converted that recovery into seventh in the Grand Prix. It was a quietly impressive weekend after very limited running.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 6/10
Fernando Alonso made a rare mistake by crashing in SQ1, but his weekend was also compromised by machinery and circumstance. He missed a proper Sprint Qualifying run, had his Grand Prix qualifying lap spoiled by traffic, and retired from the race with a seat issue.

Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 5.5/10
Pierre Gasly had a messy weekend but still recovered to eighth in the Grand Prix. His Sprint was compromised by a pit lane start, and he lacked Colapinto’s peak pace, but Sunday was a useful recovery.

Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 5.5/10
Isack Hadjar showed strong speed, especially in qualifying, where he was close to Verstappen. But penalties for his defence against Leclerc and a yellow flag infringement took the shine off fifth place.

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 2/10
Piastri was fourth in Sprint Qualifying, fourth in the Sprint and fourth again in Grand Prix Qualifying, but Sunday unravelled badly. He called the intermediate start a mistake, then hit Alex Albon and received a 10 second penalty. Finishing outside the points from a second row start was a major missed opportunity.

Alex Albon (Williams) 3/10
Albon was unlucky to miss Sprint Qualifying after hitting a groundhog in practice, but the weekend never recovered. He started the Sprint from the pit lane, failed to escape Q1 in Grand Prix Qualifying and was then taken out by Piastri in the race.

Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 4/10
Arvid Lindblad scored a Sprint point and reached Q3, which were positives. But a clutch issue prevented him from starting the Grand Prix, leaving the weekend feeling unfinished.

Ollie Bearman (Haas) 5/10
Ollie Bearman had a low profile weekend but still claimed the final point. He struggled in qualifying and was behind the stronger midfield runners, yet he stayed out of major trouble on Sunday.

Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) 4.5/10
Nico Hulkenberg once again came close to Q3 without making it. A Sprint penalty and a quiet race to 12th meant another weekend where points were just out of reach for Audi.

Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 4/10
Gabriel Bortoleto was steady but lacked impact. He progressed from Q1, finished behind Hulkenberg in qualifying and the race, and ended up 13th on Sunday.

Sergio Perez (Cadillac) 5/10
Sergio Perez had a difficult qualifying weekend and was involved in traffic related incidents, but his race ended through suspension failure rather than a major driver error. It was not strong, but it was not the worst weekend in the field.

Esteban Ocon (Haas) 2/10
Esteban Ocon failed to make progress in any meaningful part of the weekend. He dropped out in SQ2, missed Q2 by a narrow margin in Grand Prix Qualifying and finished only 14th.

Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) 1/10
Valtteri Bottas struggled badly throughout the weekend. He was eliminated early in both qualifying formats, started the Sprint from the pit lane and finished last of the classified runners in the Grand Prix.

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 0.5/10
Lance Stroll had a miserable home weekend. He was eliminated in both qualifying sessions, had a suspension issue before the Sprint, started the Grand Prix from the pit lane after power unit changes and finished only 15th.

What the Canadian GP driver ratings tell us

The 2026 Canadian GP driver ratings underline the growing intensity of the Mercedes title battle, with Russell producing his best weekend of the year before reliability denied him a likely victory shot.

Antonelli still did what champions do by taking the win when the chance arrived, while Hamilton gave Ferrari a much needed high point with one of his strongest race drives of the season.

But for McLaren, Montreal was a warning. Norris had the pace to be a major threat and Piastri had track position, yet the team left Canada with no points from a race that briefly looked full of promise.

The post F1 Driver Ratings for the 2026 Canadian GP appeared first on Total Motorsport.