Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur erupted into laughter after it emerged that he referred to Lewis Hamilton as \u2018Luigi\u2019 over team radio at the Canadian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
Hamilton secured his best result as a Ferrari driver in Montreal last weekend, finishing second to the race-winning Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton christened \u2018Luigi\u2019 by Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The result marked Hamilton\u2019s second podium finish of the F1 2026 season having finished third at the second round in China in March.<\/p>\n It saw him draw level with teammate Charles Leclerc, whose two podium finishes of this campaign were achieved in Australia and Japan.<\/p>\n Vasseur raised eyebrows after the Ferrari boss was heard calling Hamilton \u2018Luigi\u2019 \u2013 the Italian equivalent of \u2018Lewis\u2019 \u2013 in a team radio message after the chequered flag in Canada.<\/p>\n Vasseur told Hamilton: \u201cGood job, Luigi.\u201d<\/p>\n In a Sky F1 clip circulating on social media, which cannot be reproduced here due to broadcast rights restrictions, the Ferrari team principal burst into laughter when asked about the message after the race in Canada.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Ferrari head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season<\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n Sky F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz is seen asking Vasseur: \u201cWhat did you call Lewis on the radio at the end? Old G?\u201d<\/p>\n Vasseur replies: \u201cLuigi!\u201d<\/p>\n The Frenchman then erupts into uncontrollable laughter lasting more than 10 seconds.<\/p>\n Asked after the race where his new nickname came from, Hamilton told television crews: \u201cI don\u2019t know. In Italy, they used to always call me \u2018Luigi\u2019 when I was a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton, who turned 41 in January, dropped the biggest hint yet in Canada that he will remain with Ferrari beyond the F1 2026 season.<\/p>\n Appearing in Thursday\u2019s FIA press conference at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the former Mercedes driver said he plans to remain in F1 \u201cfor some time\u201d and told his critics to \u201cget used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton said: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people that are trying to retire me. That\u2019s not even on my thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years, but I still plan to be here for some time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still [under] contract, so everything\u2019s 100 per cent clear to me.<\/p>\n \u201cI still love what I do with all my heart and I\u2019m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton, who remains without a race victory since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, sits three points adrift of Leclerc ahead of next weekend\u2019s Monaco Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Ferrari is widely regarded as a contender for victory on the streets of Monte Carlo due to the characteristics of the SF-26 car, which has struggled in terms of straight-line speed so far this season.<\/p>\n Hamilton is a three-time winner of the Monaco Grand Prix having triumphed in 2008, 2016 and 2019.<\/p>\n Leclerc, meanwhile, took a dominant victory at his home race in 2024.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n