Villeneuve Urges Ferrari To Back Hamilton Over Leclerc In 2026 Title Fight

Jacques Villeneuve believes Ferrari must make a clear choice between their two drivers if they are to mount a serious championship challenge this season.
The 1997 world champion has called on Ferrari to commit fully to Lewis Hamilton as their title contender, prioritising him over Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton joined Ferrari in January 2025 as a seven-time world champion, creating one of the most talked-about driver pairings in modern Formula 1 history.
Leclerc appeared to have the upper hand in their first season together, finishing 86 points clear of Hamilton while claiming seven podiums to Hamilton’s none.
The dynamic has shifted dramatically in 2026, with Hamilton now sitting 40 points ahead of Leclerc in the drivers’ standings heading into the summer portion of the season.
Hamilton’s victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix made him the first Ferrari driver to win a grand prix since Carlos Sainz’s triumph at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
He had already demonstrated his resurgence with back-to-back second-place finishes at the Canadian and Monaco Grands Prix, lifting him to second in the championship above Mercedes’ George Russell.
Hamilton now trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 41 points as he hunts what would be an unprecedented eighth world drivers’ title.
Villeneuve, speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, was direct in his assessment, saying: “Lewis knows how to win, and he knows what it takes. And if he gets a sniff of it, there won’t be any quarters.”
The Canadian added: “I think that’s where he can make the difference. Mercedes right now are not in a position to be even able or allowed to choose a driver over another.”
Villeneuve concluded his argument clearly, stating: “Ferrari is because Ferrari has to focus on Lewis if they want a small chance of winning, so the decision is easy to make because Leclerc is quite far back [in the championship].”
Ferrari’s last drivers’ world championship came with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, while their most recent constructors’ title dates back to 2008, making the pressure to end that drought considerable.
Mercedes, meanwhile, have both Russell and Antonelli fighting for the crown, and the Silver Arrows appear content to allow their drivers to continue racing each other freely for now.
The situation draws comparisons to last season’s title battle, when McLaren’s refusal to prioritise either of their drivers allowed Max Verstappen to benefit from their indecision and remain competitive.
Whether Hamilton can bridge the gap to Antonelli over the remaining races remains the biggest question, but his form gives Ferrari genuine reason to believe a first drivers’ title in nearly two decades is possible.
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