Ferrari must prioritise Lewis Hamilton for F1 title, says Jacques Villeneuve
Ferrari must prioritise Lewis Hamilton over team-mate Charles Leclerc if they are to win the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship, according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.
The seven-time world champion recently secured his maiden victory for the Maranello-based team at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
That crucial triumph moved the Briton to within 41 points of current championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
Meanwhile, consecutive race retirements for Leclerc have created a 30-point deficit between the two Ferrari drivers.
An easy decision for Maranello
Villeneuve, who claimed the 1997 drivers’ crown, believes the Italian squad must now decisively throw their weight behind the 41-year-old.
The Canadian feels rival constructor Mercedes are currently unable to formally favour either Antonelli or third-placed George Russell.
“Lewis knows how to win, and he knows what it takes,” Villeneuve said.
“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.”
Catching Leclerc by surprise
The former Mercedes star endured a difficult debut campaign in red throughout 2025 as he initially struggled to match his Monegasque team-mate.
However, sweeping technical regulation changes for 2026 and strategic personnel adjustments have rejuvenated the veteran driver.
Villeneuve suggests this sudden resurgence has completely caught Leclerc off guard.
“Leclerc had time to build the team around him and he didn’t,” the former Williams driver added.
He argued that Leclerc was handed a lucrative contract too early in his career and never learned to construct a winning team environment.
“Suddenly in comes Lewis last year, who’s not having a great season. He’s really having a hard time with the car, the team, it takes time to build,” Villeneuve noted.
