Villeneuve: Ferrari Must Prioritize Hamilton for 2026 Title Hopes

Jacques Villeneuve insists Ferrari must throw their full weight behind Lewis Hamilton if they want to keep their 2026 title hopes alive. Hamilton's victory at the Spanish Grand Prix moved him within 41 points of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, while teammate Charles Leclerc has fallen 30 points adrift after consecutive retirements.

Why it matters:

The 1997 world champion argues that Mercedes is currently unable to prioritize between Antonelli and George Russell, but Ferrari has a clear choice. With Hamilton demonstrating the winning instinct that delivered seven titles, Villeneuve believes the Scuderia cannot afford to split its focus if it wants to mount a credible challenge against Mercedes.

The details:

• Hamilton's Barcelona win capped a dramatic turnaround from a difficult 2025 season, which Villeneuve attributes to engineering team changes and Fred Vasseur's leadership alongside major regulation shifts.
• Leclerc entered Ferrari with "mega contract" status after an average Sauber stint, and Villeneuve claims he never had to build the team around himself like Hamilton has done.
• Villeneuve asserts Leclerc was comfortable while Hamilton struggled to adapt last year, but is "not prepared" now that the seven-time champion has made the car and team his own.
• Ferrari currently faces a 30-point internal gap between its drivers, with Leclerc sitting further back in the championship standings.

What's next:

The F1 grid heads to the Austrian Grand Prix on June 26-28, where Ferrari's internal dynamic will face another crucial test. If Hamilton continues his current momentum and Leclerc fails to respond immediately, the Scuderia will face mounting pressure to formally back one driver—a decision that could define not just their 2026 campaign, but their long-term driver strategy.