Ferrari face major Hamilton, Leclerc decision "if they want to win" Drivers' Championship
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Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has claimed there may come a time when Ferrari need to prioritise Lewis Hamilton over Charles Leclerc in the Formula One Drivers’ Championship battle.
After experiencing a tough first season with Ferrari, Hamilton has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes following the end of the ground-effect era.
Hamilton finished on the podium in three consecutive races prior to the recent Austrian Grand Prix, securing back-to-back finishes in Canada and Monaco before claiming his first win in a Ferrari in Barcelona.
The seven-time world champion had to settle for a fifth place in a difficult race for Ferrari in Austria, leaving him third spot in the Drivers’ Championship – 46 points adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli, which is also the same distance that separates him from his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, in sixth position.
With the two Mercedes drivers both harbouring championship ambitions, there has been a suggestion that Ferrari could take advantage of the Silver Arrows’ split loyalties by effectively making Hamilton their number one driver.
Steiner predicts potential Hamilton, Leclerc decision for Ferrari
Steiner believes there may be a point in the championship race where Ferrari may need to prioritise Hamilton over Leclerc.
Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, Steiner said: “First of all, I would say that I’m very much surprised that Lewis has the edge on Charles because I rate Charles highly, you know, as a very good driver.
“I think that it’s too early now to jump to a conclusion. First of all, it’s two or three races that Lewis is really ahead of Charles.
“Before that, I think that they were pretty equal. I think it’s still too early to tell, but at some stage, obviously, if Lewis mathematically has a better chance to be world champion, then that is what they will do. We don’t have to tell them that. I think they come to that conclusion themselves.
“Because at the moment, it’s not like Mercedes needs to do anything because they are the dominant car. So whatever happens between their drivers, they will win.
“But Ferrari, if they want to win something, I think they will come to an earlier conclusion about what they need to do as a team in order to get a World Championship. And they will do that in the end, because if they want to win, they have to come to that conclusion sooner.”
Leclerc’s difficult 2026
Leclerc has only managed two podium finishes this season, with those two third-place finishes taking place across the first three Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver crashed out of his home race and failed to finish in Barcelona due to a mechanical issue.
Leclerc was then passed three times by his teammate in last weekend’s disappointing eight-place finish in Spielberg.
While he will be hoping to get the better of his teammate this weekend, it will be a tough ask to beat Hamilton around a circuit where he has experienced so much success as a nine-time British GP winner.
Guenther Steiner was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of 247Bet.
Written by
Ben Sully