Juan Pablo Montoya sees potential risk for Charles Leclerc as Lewis Hamilton gains momentum at Ferrari
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has raised concerns that Charles Leclerc could find himself facing a situation similar to the one that has troubled several of Max Verstappen’s former Red Bull teammates if Ferrari continues to adapt its development direction around Lewis Hamilton’s preferences.
After a challenging debut season with the Scuderia in 2025, Lewis Hamilton appears to have taken a significant step forward in 2026. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion delivered his strongest Ferrari performance to date at the Canadian Grand Prix, finishing in second place and securing Ferrari’s best result of the season after the opening five rounds.
The result was another indication that Lewis Hamilton is becoming increasingly comfortable with Ferrari’s current package. It also shifted the balance in the intra-team battle, with Lewis Hamilton now leading Charles Leclerc 3-2 in Grand Prix finishes this season. Remarkably, the British driver has already matched the number of occasions on which he outperformed Charles Leclerc across the entire 2025 campaign.
While many Ferrari supporters have welcomed the Briton’s resurgence, Juan Pablo Montoya believes the situation could create a new challenge for Charles Leclerc if Ferrari’s engineers begin shaping the car more heavily around the preferences of the seven-time world champion.
Montoya believes Ferrari must avoid repeating a familiar Formula 1 pattern
Speaking on his podcast, Juan Pablo Montoya suggested that Ferrari could eventually face a dilemma that has affected several teams in Formula 1 history. According to the Colombian, once a leading driver establishes a clear technical direction, teams often naturally evolve the car around that driver’s strengths, making life increasingly difficult for the teammate on the opposite side of the garage.
Montoya explained that Lewis Hamilton’s growing confidence could accelerate that process. As Ferrari gathers more simulator data and track feedback from the British driver, engineers may naturally gravitate toward setups and development choices that maximize overall performance. While that strategy may help the team achieve stronger results, it could inadvertently create challenges for Charles Leclerc if the Monegasque driver prefers a different balance or driving style.
The former Williams and McLaren driver suggested that once Lewis Hamilton fully unlocks the potential of the Ferrari package, his pace could increase substantially. In that scenario, Ferrari would inevitably focus on the configuration that delivers the fastest lap times, regardless of which driver it suits best.
Montoya’s theory is that if the car increasingly evolves toward Lewis Hamilton’s preferred characteristics, Charles Leclerc could gradually become less comfortable behind the wheel. Rather than developing separate philosophies for each driver, teams typically converge toward the setup direction that generates the strongest overall performance.
This dynamic has often been observed at Red Bull, where several highly regarded drivers struggled to consistently match Max Verstappen once the car evolved around the Dutchman’s driving style. Montoya fears a similar pattern could emerge at Ferrari if Charles Leclerc is forced to adapt to a car that increasingly reflects Lewis Hamilton’s requirements.
Canadian Grand Prix performance adds fuel to the debate
The discussion gained further attention following the Canadian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton comfortably outperformed Charles Leclerc throughout the weekend. Montreal has traditionally not been one of Charles Leclerc’s strongest circuits, but the gap between the two Ferrari drivers nevertheless raised questions about whether momentum inside the team is beginning to shift.
Although many observers view the Canadian weekend as an isolated setback for Charles Leclerc, Montoya believes it could represent the early stages of a broader trend. If Lewis Hamilton continues to build confidence and Ferrari continues refining the SF-26 around the characteristics that allow him to extract maximum performance, the Monegasque may find himself under increasing pressure.
Montoya argued that in such circumstances engineers often encourage the trailing driver to simply adapt and extract more from the package rather than significantly altering the car’s direction. As a result, the driver who feels less comfortable can become trapped in a cycle where confidence and performance gradually decline.
Why Charles Leclerc’s engineering team could play a key role
Despite his concerns, Juan Pablo Montoya believes there is still a clear solution available for the 28-year-old. The former Formula 1 race winner stressed the importance of Charles Leclerc’s side of the garage maintaining its own technical identity and carefully evaluating which setup changes genuinely improve performance.
Rather than blindly following every development direction that benefits Lewis Hamilton, Montoya suggested that Charles Leclerc’s engineers should continue exploring alternatives and be willing to revisit previous concepts if necessary. Maintaining a distinct setup philosophy could help preserve the driving characteristics that have allowed Charles Leclerc to establish himself as one of Formula 1’s fastest qualifiers and most naturally gifted talents.
For Ferrari, the challenge will be finding the right balance between maximizing the overall speed of the SF-26 and ensuring both drivers remain competitive. With Lewis Hamilton rapidly settling into life at Maranello and Charles Leclerc determined to defend his status as Ferrari’s long-term reference point, the internal battle could become one of the most fascinating storylines of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
If Ferrari succeeds in managing both drivers effectively, the team could benefit from having two genuine front-running contenders. However, if development increasingly favours one side of the garage, Juan Pablo Montoya believes Charles Leclerc could soon face the same difficult situation that has challenged several teammates of Max Verstappen over the years.
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