Jacques Villeneuve defends Lewis Hamilton’s rocky start, blaming Ferrari’s poor calls and disqualifications for derailing early-season hopes.
1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve defends Lewis Hamilton, pointing the finger at Ferrari instead.
It’s no secret that Jacques Villeneuve hasn’t always been a fan of Lewis Hamilton. But this time, the Canadian surprised many by backing the British driver after a tough start to the season — and shifting the blame onto Ferrari.
Despite a win in the Sprint Race in China, Hamilton’s results during the first two race weekends have raised eyebrows. But Villeneuve believes the real issue lies elsewhere.
“He won a sprint race and got off to a brilliant start. Lewis took pole for the sprint, which was a big deal — more than anyone expected from those first two events,” Villeneuve said.
“His Saturday in China was phenomenal. That car wasn’t a race winner, but he pushed it to the limit. He made the most of that pole and controlled the sprint from the front.”
According to Villeneuve, Ferrari’s decisions — not Hamilton’s performance — are what derailed the weekend. The Italian team made changes for the main race in China, and things went downhill from there. Both Ferrari drivers were disqualified for different reasons, and even the team admitted they made mistakes.
So, is it fair to slam Ferrari? Villeneuve thinks the team simply got it wrong.
“Being under the weight limit can happen. Mercedes had the same issue with George Russell last year. A kilo sounds like nothing, but rules are rules. They should’ve factored in tire wear.”
“Lewis did two pit stops, one of the few to do so, and still met the minimum weight. Leclerc, on the other hand, stayed out too long on old tires and ended up using more rubber than expected.”
Villeneuve explained that teams usually collect rubber from the track on the cooldown lap to add weight to the car — something Ferrari may not have done properly.
As for Hamilton’s disqualification, Villeneuve found it even more baffling.
“These cars constantly scrape the ground, so losing 0.5mm on the skid block might seem small — but it’s massive. It shows something was off in their setup. It’s hard to understand how they didn’t catch this during the sprint.”
Finally, Villeneuve weighed in on Hamilton’s early success and how it might affect his new teammate, Charles Leclerc.
“Lewis already has a win under his belt — that’s not great for team dynamics. He was already the bigger name, the superstar, and now he’s the one who brought Ferrari a victory, even if it was just a sprint. Meanwhile, the rest of their races have been a disaster.”
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Ferrari’s Fumble – Not Hamilton’s Fault – Says Villeneuve Ferrari’s Fumble – Not Hamilton’s Fault – Says Villeneuve
