Montoya signals race that could define Hamilton’s Ferrari title challenge

Despite being fresh off his triumph at the Barcelona Grand Prix, Montoya has largely been measured in his assessment of the conversation around Hamilton mounting a title challenge against current leader Kimi Antonelli. The former McLaren driver, who spoke via a gambling platform, largely focused on the victory the seven-time champion claimed for the Scuderia Ferrari team at the Catalunya circuit.

Montoya suggested that the win sent a clear message to the rest of the grid that Mercedes are not untouchable, while also noting that Hamilton is beginning to make his presence felt again in a Ferrari that now looks more competitive.

“Lewis Hamilton’s win has broken the perception that Mercedes is unbeatable,” Montoya explained. “People are excited because somebody threatened Mercedes. There is another dimension now. Now you also have the old guy who everyone thought was finished making waves again in the Ferrari,” he added.

The 50-year-old, when subsequently quizzed about the possibility of Hamilton mounting a title charge, noted how wide the gap to Antonelli remains, before highlighting how he expects the title picture to be much clearer come the Belgian Grand Prix. Montoya, however, was quick to flag concerns over the Ferrari power unit, something he believes could be a deciding factor in how the campaign unfolds.

“We need to wait for Spa to get a clearer picture,” he said. “At the moment, the reliability of the Ferrari is for sure better. But they know they’re down on power,” he concluded.

Ahead of the weekend in Austria, Hamilton currently trails Antonelli in the drivers’ standings by 41 points following his victory in Barcelona. The outing, which saw Hamilton claim his maiden victory with the Ferrari outfit, also marked an end to the five-race winning streak which Antonelli had been on.

While Montoya appears measured on the prospect of Hamilton putting up a challenge for the title, one individual who believes the British driver is in the title race is Jacques Villeneuve, and the Canadian has urged the Ferrari outfit to back Hamilton to clinch the drivers’ championship.

The 1997 world champion, in his assessment, noted how Hamilton currently presents the Maranello outfit’s best chance of winning an elusive drivers’ championship, hence prioritising him over teammate Charles Leclerc would be a sensible decision in the opinion of the 55-year-old. Hamilton remains in search of his eighth drivers’ championship after clinching his seventh in the 2020 campaign.