Ferrari know their Achilles heel will cost Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc ‘precious time’ in Canada

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Ferrari are fearful for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ahead of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, as the Scuderia know their engine is likely to hold them back in Montreal.

The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has not been a happy hunting ground for the Maranello natives in recent seasons. Ferrari have only won the Canadian GP once through the past 18 editions, when Sebastian Vettel registered pole position and the victory for the Scuderia back in 2018.

Vettel and Leclerc secured Ferrari a double podium finish on Notre Dame Island in 2019, and Carlos Sainz made the rostrum for the pride of Italy at the 2022 edition. But they remain the team’s only recent trips to the Canadian GP podium since Vettel won the race back in 2018.

Ferrari are not holding out much hope for finally winning the Canadian GP again with Leclerc or Hamilton in 2026, either. Their engineers in Maranello fear that the SF-26 will not pose a race-winning package – especially given Mercedes and McLaren are set to debut upgrades.

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Ferrari know they cannot mask their lack of horsepower at the Canadian Grand Prix

That is according to Formula Passion, which reports that Ferrari are aware that their lack of horsepower compared to Mercedes’ 2026 regulations power unit will likely ‘cost’ Hamilton and Leclerc ‘precious time’ around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve that they might not recover.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Canadian GP moments including Lewis Hamilton’s blunder

Ferrari have largely used the SF-26’s efficient downforce to give Leclerc and Hamilton a car with which they can make up in the corners for the time they lose on the straights. But the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve’s layout ensures downforce will not be a get out of jail free card.

Only the final chicane – famed for the Wall of Champions – can really be considered a high-speed corner, as the Turn 5 kink is more of a straight between T4 and T6 in a Formula 1 car. Yet even that is more a medium-speed area, at most, with Montreal littered with chicanes.

So, Ferrari have spent the break since the Miami Grand Prix looking for a way to make the SF-26 competitive in slow-to-medium speed corners. Leclerc also has to avoid overworking his tyres as he did in Miami, before a late spin ruined his hopes of finishing the race in P4.

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Leclerc spun on the final lap of the Miami GP while trying to put McLaren rival Oscar Piastri under pressure. The damage he sustained from hitting the wall also meant the 28-year-old had to cut corners to make the flag, which drew a 20s penalty that sent him from P6 to P8.

Hamilton moved up to P6 after Leclerc’s penalty in the Miami GP, having not posed a threat to those in front of him throughout the race after he suffered damage from a first-lap clash with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. It marked the first time that neither Ferrari driver finished in the top four, let alone on a Grand Prix podium over the first four rounds of the 2026 season.

What could be of some comfort for those in Maranello is that the FIA is set to rule on which of the engine manufacturers will receive ADUO status after the Canadian GP. Ferrari hope to receive a 4% ADUO status so they can then design an upgraded internal combustion engine.