F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve requires ‘easy’ Ferrari change to assist Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari have been urged by 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve to vary each race engineers, who he says have “no chemistry” with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

F1’s return after the summer season break on the Dutch Grand Prix didn’t deliver a couple of change in fortunes for Ferrari’s star driver pairing. The truth is, it was a day to overlook.

Hamilton crashed out on lap 23 after miscalculating a slippery part of the banked turn-three. Then, 30 laps later, Charles Leclerc was additionally compelled to retire after being hit by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on the identical part of the circuit.

The double DNF represents one other low level for Ferrari in a winless season up to now, whereas £50m-a-year signing Hamilton is but to register a podium in 15 grands prix this season. So as to add insult to harm, Hamilton was then given a five-place grid penalty for the subsequent race for not slowing down for yellow flags previous to the race in Zandvoort.

And the outspoken Villeneuve believes it’s time Hamilton and Leclerc lower ties with race engineers Riccardo Adami and Bryan Bozzi respectively.

“Change the 2 engineers,” Villeneuve stated, on Sky Sports activities F1’s broadcast.

“Discover engineers who really gel with the drivers and provides them the liberty to work with the drivers. Easy.”

Hamilton’s relationship with Adami – beforehand the race engineer for Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel – has been blighted by communication breakdowns this season. Leclerc, equally, has been irked by Bozzi over group radio in latest races.

Elaborating additional on Hamilton’s time at Ferrari up to now, Villeneuve added: “He would not really feel the group is behind him. The group would not really feel Lewis is with them.

“It is not gelling, and you may hear it when he is speaking along with his engineer [Adami] on race day. There is no chemistry, by no means. It is as in the event that they’re on a special planet. They do not talk with one another.

open picture in gallery

open picture in gallery

“However the identical is true with [Charles] Leclerc and his engineer. There’s one thing actually odd taking place with that group that’s not progressing in the proper path.

“And if you hear Lewis’ interviews, he would not appear excited. He would not appear to imagine what he says. It is as if he would not need to go to work. It is actually, actually unusual.

“Now, 2026 is coming. He is aware of that shall be a brand new season. This yr is finished. He is specializing in 2026, however for that, you want to ensure that it will likely be your automotive, it will likely be your group.”

Ferrari’s conventional dwelling race, the Italian Grand Prix, is subsequent up this weekend, as Hamilton (with that five-place grid penalty) and Leclerc look to bounce again at Monza.