Former Formula 1 driver and current F1 TV analyst Jolyon Palmer thinks Ferrari should fully back Lewis Hamilton instead of Charles Leclerc in the upcoming 2026 title race. His perspective comes after Hamilton celebrated his first Ferrari Grand Prix win in Barcelona, which has reignited the seven-time world champion’s hopes for the championship. At 41 years old, Hamilton is now just 41 points shy of the leader, Kimi Antonelli. With Mercedes showing dominance this season and Antonelli engaged in a fierce title fight with his teammate George Russell, Palmer believes Ferrari is at a crucial crossroads if it wants to clinch its first Drivers’ Championship since Kimi Raikkonen’s victory in 2007.
Meanwhile, Leclerc finds himself 81 points behind the championship leader after a couple of races where he didn’t score any points. Palmer argues that this gap is simply too wide to bridge. He insists that Ferrari needs to focus on maximizing its chances with Hamilton, emphasizing that, “My point here is if Ferrari want to win the title, they’re going to do it with fundamentally an inferior car. They will get closer. There will be races where they’re ahead, and Barcelona was great.”
Ferrari on the march with Austria key to title hopes
Ferrari is heading into the Austrian Grand Prix with a fresh sense of optimism following their impressive win in Barcelona. The team rolled out eight aerodynamic upgrades in Spain, which played a crucial role in helping Hamilton clinch Ferrari’s first Grand Prix victory since 2024. So far this season, Hamilton has notched up one win and three podium finishes in the first seven races, consistently earning points at every event. Additionally, Ferrari has introduced its first engine upgrade, with even more significant performance improvements anticipated after the summer break. While Mercedes has dominated by winning six out of the first seven races, Ferrari has been steadily narrowing the gap.
Now, Austria presents a vital opportunity for Ferrari to test its championship ambitions. Leclerc secured second place on the grid, with Hamilton right behind him in third, effectively splitting the two Mercedes drivers. This positioning gives Ferrari a chance to leverage strategy to put pressure on George Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli during the race. Hamilton acknowledged that Mercedes still seems to have the edge in raw speed, but he’s confident that smart race strategy and strong teamwork could enable Ferrari to vie for another victory and continue their quest to break the long-standing drought for a Drivers’ Championship.
