Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has warned Lewis Hamilton against getting involved in on-track battles with teammate Charles Leclerc after the two Ferraris tussled for supremacy at the Shanghai Grand Prix.
The two drivers appear closely matched in the early stages of this season and battled for the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, repeatedly overtaking each other before Hamilton eventually squeezed ahead.
An energised Hamilton said afterwards “it felt like go-karting” and it proved a success story for F1’s new regulations for this season, with the lead exchanging several times in a dramatic few laps.
Ultimately however Leclerc lost out entirely, with the Mercedes of George Russell able to get past and take second, with Hamilton finishing third, despite the two Ferraris in second and third throughout their track battle.
And Villeneuve has warned that similar fighting between teammates - although good-natured - could cost Ferrari in the long run, with the Mercedes pair of Russell and Shanghai winner Kimi Antonelli setting the pace in the early stages of this season.
The Canadian said on Sky Sports: “Leclerc decided not to play the team game and played the Leclerc game, caught [Hamilton] by surprise, but he should have seen it coming. The same thing happened in the Sprint [on Saturday].
“It turned out okay but it was a little bit extreme and destroyed Ferrari's race. They were running second and third, fighting so hard, destroying their tyres.
“At some point, if you keep taking lap time away from each other, it allows Mercedes to get away and they are not that far from Mercedes with a car that can race. Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back because they are not that far behind in points.”
The 1997 world champion added that both Scuderia drivers want to be “the man”, even if it risks their position in the overall standings.
Russell currently leads the driver standings on 51 points, with Antonelli four points back and Leclerc in third place, 14 off Russell. Hamilton sits one place further back and just a point behind the Monegasque.
Russell, Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate, said: “I was just waiting for the two of them to collide and somehow they didn't. It was some of the most aggressive racing I've seen for a while.
“If I wasn't trying to win the race, I'd have been enjoying the battle, but obviously watching Kimi pull away during those points it was a little bit annoying.”
Last season Hamilton was off the pace compared to Leclerc and Ferrari had few issues of grappling between the two drivers.
But the Briton’s frosty relationship with former teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg at Mercedes will serve as a cautionary tale, while the more recent example of McLaren’s occasional difficulty managing the evenly-matched Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will be fresh in the memory for the Maranello outfit.
Hamilton said after Shanghai: “We didn't exchange any paint. I think that's down to great drivers and respect.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur downplayed the rivalry, saying: “I have a huge respect for both of them. They are professional and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race.
“As long as it's done like it was done in China, even a couple of times in the radio they told us that they had good fun, I don't want to freeze the position.”
Why Oscar Piastri’s disastrous 2026 F1 opening salvo serves as a warning to Kimi Antonelli
Honda release statement after Aston Martin ‘vibrations’ continue: ‘We know this isn’t an excuse’
Wolff confident Russell and Antonelli rivalry will not repeat toxic Hamilton-Rosberg feud
Why Piastri’s disastrous 2026 F1 opening salvo serves as a warning to Antonelli
Honda release statement after Aston Martin F1 ‘vibrations’: ‘This isn’t an excuse’
Wolff confident Russell and Antonelli rivalry will not repeat Hamilton-Rosberg feud
