Lewis Hamilton says he will \u201cprobably not\u201d use the Ferrari simulator again to help race preparation following his successful experiment at the Canadian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
Hamilton recorded his best result as a Ferrari driver in Montreal last month, finishing second to the race-winning Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton unlikely to use Ferrari simulator again for race prep<\/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 It proved to be the seven-time world champion\u2019s most convincing performance to date in red, with Hamilton outpacing teammate Charles Leclerc throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s improved performance in Canada came after he vowed to avoid the Ferrari simulator following the previous race in Miami.<\/p>\n The 41-year-old claimed in Miami that the simulator was \u201cnot helping\u201d his pre-race preparations, claiming the SF-26 car \u201cfeels different\u201d on track compared to the virtual world.<\/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 Hamilton also did not use the Ferrari simulator ahead of this year\u2019s Chinese Grand Prix, where he claimed his first podium for Ferrari.<\/p>\n Ahead of this weekend\u2019s Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton has admitted that he is unlikely to return to the simulator to help with race preparation, claiming there are \u201ctoo many risks\u201d involved.<\/p>\n But he believes he can help drive improvements to the simulator by providing feedback after each race and offering direction in terms of development.<\/p>\n Asked if he will use the simulator again this season in light of his successful weekend in Canada, Hamilton said: \u201cI\u2019m sure I will drive it at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what could be good is, for example, going back and doing correlation to this weekend so we can find out where it\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the test driver will be on there saying it\u2019s all\u2026 they will only know what they know because they don\u2019t get to drive \u2013 it\u2019s only Charles and I that get to drive the car.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the positive of something like being able to drive the real car, go back and say, \u2018This is actually what it feels like, these are the things that we\u2019re missing,\u2019 so that we can improve it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always there to help the team move forward and develop it.<\/p>\n \u201cNow whether or not I use it to prepare for another race? Probably not. There are just too many risks.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the two best races I\u2019ve had, I didn\u2019t use a simulator and that\u2019s honestly how it was.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much all the championships before, except for probably 2008, I didn\u2019t use the sim, so it\u2019s not a necessity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tool that can be powerful, but, for me, I\u2019m old school. I\u2019m probably better without it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferrari is expected to be among the favourites for victory on the streets of Monaco due to the characteristics of the SF-26, which has struggled in terms of straight-line speed so far this season.<\/p>\n The team remains without a victory since Carlos Sainz, now of Williams, triumphed at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s last win occurred at that year\u2019s Belgian Grand Prix, with Leclerc collecting his most recent victory in the United States three months later.<\/p>\n Hamilton is a three-time winner of the Monaco Grand Prix having won in 2008, 2016 and 2019. Leclerc\u2019s only victory at his home race occurred 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