Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve commends Lewis Hamilton for ignoring Ferrari’s team orders during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Although the seven-time world champion apologized after the race for not returning the eighth place to Charles Leclerc in time, according to Villeneuve, Hamilton did not want to give up his position to his teammate at all. ‘Lewis played that game well,’ concludes the Canadian.
Ferrari caused a remarkable moment at the last minute during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The racing team asked Lewis Hamilton to give up his eighth place to teammate Charles Leclerc just before the finish line. The team order did not come out of the blue, as earlier in the race, the Monegasque was instructed to let Hamilton pass. The Brit then set out to chase Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson, but did not manage to overtake the trio. Subsequently, Ferrari asked Hamilton to let Leclerc pass again, but the seven-time world champion crossed the finish line four-tenths ahead of his teammate.
After the race, Hamilton apologized to his teammate for the incident. According to Jacques Villeneuve, the British driver made the right decision by not giving up his position. “Lewis Hamilton played that game well,” the 1997 world champion told a betting platform. “Ferrari asked Lewis to let Carlos Sainz Jr pass, but there was no need for that. Lewis was much faster on the new tires at that time, so he could have overtaken Leclerc again. The team orders were simply unnecessary. That’s why Lewis didn’t want to let him pass anymore.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
Both Ferrari drivers finished behind the two Mercedes drivers. As a result, the Silver Arrows have now overtaken Scuderia in the constructors’ championship. Villeneuve believes that Ferrari is currently on the wrong track. “But let’s not forget that everyone starts from scratch next year. 2026 could be a perfect start for Ferrari. They might come to the first race with a fantastic engine and car, while every other team is at a disadvantage. That’s probably what they have in mind now. I don’t think they’re focusing on the rest of 2025. 2026 is coming.”
