Hamilton brings mother Carmen to Montreal to make up for years of missed races

Lewis Hamilton brought his mother Carmen Larbalestier to the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend, telling reporters the visit was the result of a promise she made at the end of last year to travel with him more regularly in 2026.

For much of Hamilton’s near two-decade Formula 1 career, Carmen attended only his home race at Silverstone. The seven-time world champion said he had tried to persuade her to join him in Canada last season — with plans to visit Lake Louise among other destinations — but that various excuses kept getting in the way.

“She promised me at the end of the year,” Hamilton said ahead of the race weekend. “She said, ‘Next year is the year I’m going to travel with you.’ So we did China together, which was honestly the best time we’d ever had together. Then she asked me if she could come to Montreal, and I was like, ‘Absolutely.’”

Hamilton also offered to bring a friend along for Carmen, but she declined. “She’s like, ‘No, I just want to come spend time with you,’” he said. “So we have just a great time. She’s really my best friend, so I’m really grateful that she’s taken the time to come and be here.”

The 41-year-old Ferrari driver has a deep connection with the Montreal circuit, having claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory there in 2007. He has since matched Michael Schumacher’s record of seven wins at the venue, making it one of the most significant tracks on the calendar for him personally.

“It’s one of my favourite places to come in the season,” Hamilton said. “The atmosphere in the city is electric. The fans are probably the closest they get through the year, and the track is one of the best tracks in the world.”

Hamilton cited the city itself as another reason his mother was keen to attend, pointing to Montreal’s restaurant scene and the general buzz around race weekend as factors that made it an easy sell.