Villeneuve praises Lewis Hamilton after Leclerc slams ‘not fair’ team order snub
Lewis Hamilton failed to let Charles Leclerc through as requested in Baku
Lewis Hamilton failed to relinquish eighth to Charles Leclerc as requested in Baku, which had Leclerc declaring the incident “stupid” and “not fair” over team radio.
However, in the opinion of 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, Hamilton “played it really well”, as he pointed the finger at Ferrari for an “unnecessary” team order.
Lewis Hamilton praised over Baku team order breakdown
Ferrari had asked Hamilton to slow before the finish line and allow Leclerc to take eighth place. Earlier in the race, Ferrari had swapped their drivers around, so the former could attack the trio of Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson ahead with his fresher tyres.
Unable to make an overtake, the order came to concede eighth back to Leclerc. While Hamilton did slow, vacate the racing line and observe his mirrors, he crossed the line four-tenths ahead of his teammate.
“Argh. Ah, I don’t really care. It’s for an eighth place, so… it’s OK. He can enjoy that P8,” Leclerc said, with a strong hint of sarcasm, over team radio after crossing the line ninth.
“It’s just stupid because it’s not fair. But again, I don’t mind, honestly. P8 or P9, it’s been a difficult weekend, so…”
Hamilton issued an apology to Leclerc after the race, indicating that it was a genuine error.
However, Villeneuve said that, to his mind, the seven-time champion was in control of the situation, and got it spot on.
“Lewis Hamilton played it well. He played it really well,” Villeneuve told a gambling platform.
“Ferrari asked Leclerc to let Lewis by, but they didn’t need to. Lewis then, on the new tyre, was so much quicker anyway he would have overtaken him. So, the team orders were unnecessary.
“So, I guess that’s why Lewis didn’t really want to let him by again!”
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur very much put the incident down to a “misunderstanding”, rather than a calculated move from Hamilton.
“I think the situation was clear for us that Lewis had a tyre advantage and we asked Charles to let him go to try to overtake Lawson and Tsunoda or Norris,” said Vasseur.
“On the top, Charles had the issue with the recovery and we are not at the top on the engine and that, I think, was the best option for us to do this move.
“We asked to swap back and it looks like Lewis had a misjudgement on the position of the start and finish line.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc head-to-head
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
To be crossing the line in the tail end of the points was a collective disappointment for Ferrari. The team slipped to third in the Constructors’ Championship behind Mercedes after Baku, as George Russell secured second and Kimi Antonelli fourth.
In Villeneuve’s opinion, Ferrari is a team “completely lost right now”, but, he added: “It’s one season. Let’s not forget next year it almost starts from zero for everyone.”
Villeneuve is referencing the new chassis and engine regulations on the way for F1 2026, such sweeping changes sparking the potential for major shifts in the pecking order.
“So, it could be a perfect beginning for Ferrari next season,” Villeneuve continued. “They get to the first race, the engine is great, the car is fantastic, and it takes a while for everyone else to catch up, that’s what they must have in their mind right now.
“I don’t think they’re focusing on the rest of 2025. 2026 is coming.”
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