It is another Lewis Hamilton who, at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, gets off the W13 number 44. No back pain generated by porpoising, no expression of tiredness or fatigue can be read on his face. What is evident is only a smiling expression of those who have achieved the maximum result in an important track for their history in Formula 1. A serenity that is perceived even in his interest for the public.
The one won by the seven-time world champion on Sunday in Montréal is a small revenge against a complicated season.
“This third place is really overwhelming emotionally for me – he comments – because it has been a real battle with the car all year. As a team we have always tried to always be attentive and focused without ever giving up “.
“I’m proud of my group, the others are faster than us at the moment, but we’re really giving it our all and we’re getting closer. We have to keep pushing and in the end we hope to be able to fight with them ”.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull, to date, are the real enemies to beat. Because the Dutchman, with this umpteenth victory, extends the distance both from teammate Sergio Perez betrayed by reliability, and from Ferrari and from Canada back with a glass half full thanks to the second place of Carlos Sainz Jr. and the fifth place. in comeback by Charles Leclerc.
Mercedes managed to make the most of every opportunity served by the Safety Car, but it is also true that the race pace held by both silver arrows was not the same as in the past weekends.
“Thanks to the Safety Car we had almost taken them – he continues – but it is also true that the pace was better: we worked a lot during the weekend also on the simulator to then work on the race set-up”.
In such a complicated year, in which everything Hamilton thought except that he had to imagine the victory as a utopia, the Canadian third place has an even more profound value: right on the track named after Gilles Villeneuve, in 2007 he won his first victory in Formula 1. That Formula 1 that, in 15 years, would have brought him one step closer to being the most legendary driver ever.
A third place, which makes him forget all the pains after Baku: “I’m thrilled I didn’t expect this second podium of the year this weekend because it’s special. Right here I won my first Grand Prix and it has great significance for me. The back? He’s fine, today I’m young again! ”.
And who knows if at Silverstone, at his home, he can’t aspire to something more …
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