Villeneuve and Montoya warn Hamilton and Leclerc will crash again: 'Won't give each other an inch'

Hamilton will be looking to re-establish his dominance (Photo: Race Pictures)

08:45, 26 Sep

Ben Hunt is an award-winning motorsport journalist with over two decades of experience in Formula 1 and international media. As a former editor-in-chief and bestselling author, he delivers in-depth analysis and strategic insight from the highest level of the sport.

Former world champions Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya have both warned that another on-track collision between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari is inevitable, with Villeneuve calling the psychological dynamic between the pair "strange" ahead of today's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Villeneuve: 'It's like the end of the world'

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the 1997 world champion said the Ferrari teammates react far more intensely to being beaten by each other than any other pairing on the grid.

If you look at the two Ferrari drivers, they react very strongly to being beaten by their team-mate, much more than any other team - it's like the end of the world. It seems to me to be more important to be ahead of your team-mate than on pole. It's really a strange balance they have internally there, it's an internal battle. It's really strong and it really affects them - you can see both of them go down, go up, just by being ahead of their team-mate.

- Jacques Villeneuve, speaking to Sky Sports F1

The intra-team dynamic at Ferrari has been one of the defining stories of the 2026 season, especially since a major flashpoint at the Italian Grand Prix where Hamilton and Leclerc clashed on the opening lap at Monza. Hamilton ended up in the gravel after the contact, and Leclerc crashed out at Parabolica on Lap 2. As GPblog reported, Leclerc has since said the controversy has gone too far, while his comments appeared to contradict Hamilton's position on the need for written rules of engagement.

Montoya predicts further collision

Montoya echoed Villeneuve's concerns during F1 TV's Weekend Warm-Up, where he was asked whether the tension between Hamilton and Leclerc had been resolved.

They're going to get together again for sure. I mean, they're not going to give each other an inch.

- Juan Pablo Montoya, on F1 TV's Weekend Warm-Up

Montoya also argued that Leclerc needs to give Hamilton room on track, warning: "And if he doesn't, then Lewis is going to be all out, right?" Friday's qualifying in Baku illustrated the ongoing tension, with Leclerc qualifying second after using a tow from Hamilton, while Hamilton settled for sixth, more than 1.3 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell.

Alex Brundle, who joined Montoya on the broadcast, warned that the Ferrari pair need to resolve their differences, with McLaren closing in on the Scuderia in the constructors' championship. Ferrari currently sits second on 358 points, with McLaren third on 306. In the drivers' standings, Hamilton is third on 191 points, 24 ahead of Leclerc in fifth, while Norris is just five points behind Hamilton in fourth.

It comes as there is growing pressure on Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, with rumours that Ferrari are looking at alternative candidates to lead the team.

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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F1-stand 2026

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli Kimi Antonelli	MercedesMER	292
2	George Russell George Russell	MercedesMER	211
3	Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton	FerrariFER	191
4	Lando Norris Lando Norris	McLarenMCL	186
5	Charles Leclerc Charles Leclerc	FerrariFER	167
6	Max Verstappen Max Verstappen	Red Bull RacingRBR	145
7	Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri	McLarenMCL	120
8	Isack Hadjar Isack Hadjar	Red Bull RacingRBR	71
9	Liam Lawson Liam Lawson	Racing BullsRCB	59
10	Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly	AlpineALP	41
11	Arvid Lindblad Arvid Lindblad	Racing BullsRCB	31
12	Franco Colapinto Franco Colapinto	AlpineALP	27
13	Oliver Bearman Oliver Bearman	HaasHAA	18
14	Gabriel Bortoleto Gabriel Bortoleto	AudiAUD	10
15	Nico Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg	AudiAUD	7
16	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz	WilliamsWIL	6
17	Alexander Albon Alexander Albon	WilliamsWIL	5
18	Esteban Ocon Esteban Ocon	HaasHAA	3
19	Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso	Aston MartinAST	3
20	Yuki Tsunoda Yuki Tsunoda	Racing BullsRCB	1
21	Lance Stroll Lance Stroll	Aston MartinAST	0
22	Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Bottas	CadillacCAD	0
23	Sergio Perez Sergio Perez	CadillacCAD	0

Show Full Standings

Villeneuve and Montoya warn Hamilton and Leclerc will crash again: 'Won't give each other an inch'

Villeneuve: 'It's like the end of the world'

Montoya predicts further collision

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