Jacques Villeneuve says Lewis Hamilton is now letting Charles Leclerc do his dirty work at Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton delivered his best qualifying performance as a Ferrari driver at the Mexican Grand Prix on Saturday. Hamilton starts the race third, one spot behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
While he was on pole for the China Sprint back in March, Hamilton hasn’t qualified in the top three for a Grand Prix all season. But Ferrari finally managed to convert practice promise into Q3 pace.
The result continues Hamilton’s upturn since the summer break. He’s still waiting for his first podium, but he matched his best Sunday position in Austin last time out (P4).
Hamilton has been within two places of Leclerc in every competitive session since his Dutch GP retirement. He’s clearly closed the gap to his teammate, regarded by some as the fastest driver in F1 over one lap.
Jacques Villeneuve says Lewis Hamilton is leaving the ‘anger’ to Charles Leclerc
Speaking before Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, Sky Sports pundit Jacques Villeneuve said Hamilton hasn’t looked this comfortable since his Shanghai peak.
While the SF-25 hasn’t come close to meeting his pre-season expectations, Villeneuve suggested he’s now at peace with the situation as he starts to focus on next year.
He’s left it to Leclerc to express frustration with the team’s short-term limitations. Ferrari cut off 2025 development early, with Fred Vasseur admitting this decision has called psychological damage.
“We’ve never seen him that much at ease, other than China,” said Villeneuve. “But he’s been focusing on building next year’s team and car.
“He’s been focusing on getting the team around him, not really complaining too much about the car. He’s let Charles Leclerc do that for him, let all the anger come out. And he’s really focusing on next year.”
Lewis Hamilton plays down David Croft’s concerns about his relationship with Ferrari
David Croft had suggested that Hamilton was ‘running out of patience’ with Ferrari because they were reluctant to change their ways.
Hamilton says Ferrari are ‘responding’ to his recommendations ahead of next year. He knows the 2026 car is the first he can truly influence.
Villeneuve says Hamilton must be blunt with his team over the length of their win drought. It’s 17 years since they won either championship.
Personally, Hamilton hopes the new generation of cars suits his driving style better than the ground-effect generation.
