Lewis Hamilton says he would have loved to chase ‘terrible’ Max Verstappen in Canadian GP battle for second time | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton said he ‘loved’ chasing Max Verstappen before making a late pass on the Dutchman to claim his best result for Ferrari by finishing second at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Passing Verstappen for third place and then falling seven seconds behind Red Bull, Hamilton was able to build impressive pace on the medium tires to chase down the famous driver for the 2021 World Championship.

Hamilton was within a second of Verstappen with 13 laps remaining but had to battle the four-time world champion’s elite defensive skills before finally completing a pass seven laps later, and then holding off Red Bull in the closing stages.

“It was great, it was absolutely fantastic to fight one of the greats,” said the seven-time world champion.

“It was massively challenging. I think our cars are relatively close. In qualifying, we were relatively close, and I think while we were maybe a bit quicker in the corners, whatever you gain in the corners, they gain in the straight.

“Obviously, I lost some time, he was fast at the start of the race and then once he got into the medium I was able to hunt him down.

“And I love that hunt. My whole life has been about it since I was a kid, since I had a really old go-kart, I was always hunting.

“So, to be back in that position and hunting a champion up front was amazing.”

After failing to score a Grand Prix podium during his debut campaign with Ferrari, Hamilton finished third in China in March and went one better with his result in Montreal.

F1 drivers are still getting used to the all-new car for 2026, which offers different overtaking aids to previous-generation cars, including an overtake mode.

Hamilton added: “(You) have to be so strategic when you have less power than others around you.

“Even if we have overtakes, even overtakes they have more power in the straights. So, to find a way, I just had to do these calculations, trying to figure out how to maximize the amount of power in my battery bar in each straight and make sure I have enough power at that particular point.

“And, yes, thank God I was able to pull it off. And it’s a great feeling when you overtake. So, it’s great to be able to follow these cars.”

Verstappen enjoyed the battle with Hamilton ‘a lot’

Despite losing out to Hamilton, Verstappen claimed his first podium of the season as the pair finished behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, whose team-mate George Russell was forced to retire from the lead due to power unit failure.

Of his battle with Hamilton, Verstappen said: “It was very good. I enjoyed it a lot.

“I also think when you’re within a second on this track, we’re very underpowered here, and certainly when you’re within a second, you’re allowed to spend a little bit more power, then of course you get some speed and it’s actually very efficient around here.

“The last few laps I tried to come back, but it was good. We were pushing out on the flat and it was very good for me.”

Verstappen has cut a disappointing record for much of the 2026 season so far amid his displeasure with the new regulations, but admitted a positive result would have made him more satisfied.

He added: “Also, I think it’s my first race where I’ve basically had a normal race, nothing crazy happened, so that’s nice too.”

Then F1’s European summer swing begins, with the Monaco Grand Prix the first of six races in eight weeks. Watch live on Sky Sports F1 from 5-7 June. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime