Lewis Hamilton said he rediscovered the true enjoyment of Formula One after successfully holding off Max Verstappen in a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix battle, securing his best result with Ferrari so far this season.
The seven-time world champion finished second after mounting a late charge against the Red Bull driver, eventually overtaking Verstappen with just six laps remaining.
Hamilton, who had previously struggled to adapt to Ferrari, said the duel reminded him of his childhood racing spirit in go-karts, where he constantly chased down rivals.
“It was amazing. It’s always fun racing against one of the best drivers in the world,” he said.
“I love situations like this, chasing from behind. Even when I was young in go-karts, I was always the one trying to catch up.”
He had initially trailed Verstappen by nearly seven seconds but gradually closed the gap before applying sustained pressure in the closing stages of the race.
Hamilton said the battle was challenging as both cars performed differently throughout the race.
“Max was very fast at the start, but once I switched to the medium tyres, I started to close in again,” he added.
The result marked Hamilton’s best finish with Ferrari so far, improving on his third place in the Chinese Grand Prix earlier in the season, while Verstappen secured his first podium of the year with Red Bull.
