1997 Components 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has argued that Ferrari should throw its full weight behind Lewis Hamilton if the Maranello outfit is to have any probability of profitable the 2026 championship, following the British driver’s breakthrough victory on the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The seven-time champion secured his maiden grand prix victory as a Ferrari driver in Barcelona, which not solely ended his win drought but additionally gave him a 40-point benefit over his team-mate Charles Leclerc within the drivers’ standings.
Talking on the Sky Sports activities F1 Present, Villeneuve defined that Ferrari is able to again Hamilton’s title bid, evaluating it to the intra-team battle at Mercedes between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
“Lewis is aware of the best way to win, and he is aware of what it takes. And if he will get a sniff of it, there will not be any quarter. And I believe that is the place he could make the distinction,” the Canadian mentioned. “And Mercedes proper now will not be able to have the opportunity or allowed to decide on a driver over one other. Effectively, Ferrari is as a result of Ferrari has to deal with Lewis if they need a small probability of profitable.
“So the choice is straightforward to make as a result of Charles Leclerc is kind of far again. And also you have been saying earlier than, Leclerc had time to construct the crew round him, and he did not. Keep in mind how he got here into Ferrari was after a median season at Sauber, and all of the sudden given the large mega contract, like a world champion contract, possibly too massive too quickly, an excessive amount of too quickly.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
“So he is by no means actually needed to construct something round him. It was given. He was fast and that was a lot as a result of the notion was, ‘Effectively, that is a automotive that can’t win a championship anyway’. You win just a few races, you beat your team-mate, who was Vettel, everyone was blissful.
“Then all of the sudden is available in Lewis. Final yr was not having a fantastic season, he is actually having a tough time with the automotive and the crew. It takes time to construct this round your self. So Leclerc’s fairly blissful; he is wanting good subsequent to Lewis, however the minute Lewis awoke, the minute Lewis made that automotive and that crew his personal and he is going for it and would not give any quarter, Leclerc will not be ready for that.”
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