Lewis Hamilton was thrilled with his second-place finish in the Canadian Grand Prix, exclaiming that he was "so, so happy" with his best result since joining Ferrari at the start of last year.
The seven-time F1 drivers' champion made no attempt to hide his delight, even expressing gratitude for his late-race battle with old adversary Max Verstappen.
There is no love lost between the pair after their ill-tempered title fight in 2021, but Hamilton was brimming from ear to ear after besting the Red Bull driver at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
"Amazing, honestly, I'm so, so happy. A good day of racing and overall just a really solid weekend," the 105-time grand prix winner told Sky Sports F1 in Montreal.
"I've felt on the up, and the team have done a really amazing job just refining the car.
"For us to be up there battling, and also to have a good battle with Max [Verstappen] finally. So, I am really, really grateful and just so, so happy."
The 41-year-old was perhaps the happiest he has been in front of the press since leaving Mercedes for the Scuderia, adding: "I love this job. It's the greatest job in the world, and I never take that for granted."
Hamilton has looked considerably more comfortable with the Italian team since the start of the year, and since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he has been defiant in tone, calling out his critics and insisting the downtrodden figure he cut in 2025 could not return.
Despite his detractors still arguing that he could retire from F1, the Ferrari driver has been clear that he will not be going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
When it was put to him that he looked like the Hamilton of old, he replied: "I know what you mean.
"There are so many elements that have to come together to get the car in the right place, and I think I finally have that with the engineers that I've got and the car setup within the team.
"I really hope I can continue on with this performance. I am much happier and more comfortable in the car. It feels much more like it used to be."
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