Ferrari told to back Hamilton over Leclerc in 2026 title fight

Hamilton fired the Maranello-based team back to victory lane with a masterfully executed drive at the Barcelona Grand Prix. The win, his first for Ferrari, came on the back of a strong run of podium finishes and at a time when Leclerc’s form has taken a dip.

Leclerc endured a second consecutive DNF in as many races after suffering a power-steering issue in the closing stages of the Barcelona Grand Prix. The retirement saw his gap to Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship extend to 40 points. Hamilton, meanwhile, closed the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 41 points after the Mercedes driver also retired late on with what appeared to be a power unit failure.

Reacting to Ferrari’s internal dynamics and Hamilton’s emerging title prospects, Villeneuve stressed the need for the Italian outfit to build around the seven-time world champion. Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, the 1997 champion said:

Villeneuve is not the only F1 icon backing Hamilton to restore Ferrari to title-winning contention, with former Williams driver Riccardo Patrese also confident the seven-time champion can mount a serious challenge.

The Italian, who recently reflected on Hamilton’s resurgence at Ferrari, believes a championship triumph for the Briton cannot be ruled out, particularly with much of the season still to run.

Speaking to a betting platform, Patrese highlighted the confidence Hamilton is likely to be carrying after his recent run of strong performances. The former Williams driver compared Hamilton’s form to emerging from a “black tunnel”, while stressing that his achievements deserve greater recognition.

Asked whether Hamilton’s resurgence could translate into a genuine title challenge and ultimately an eighth world championship, Patrese refused to dismiss the possibility. The six-time Grand Prix winner pointed to Ferrari’s steady progress across the opening rounds and suggested that, with plenty of races remaining, Hamilton remains firmly in contention.

“Ferrari will improve for sure. But so too will Mercedes. Ferrari and Mercedes will both be fighting it out. I should say, though, that since the first race, the level of improvement made by Ferrari has been better than that of Mercedes. Their quality went higher. Mercedes was already very high in Melbourne. We still have many races left this season. So, you never know. Never say never. Lewis has definitely got a chance. He may be 41 points behind Kimi, but not that much if you think about the number of races to go,” he stated.