Jolyon Palmer says Ferrari can give Lewis Hamilton ‘critical’ title advantage with simple decision

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Jolyon Palmer has stated that Ferrari could hand Lewis Hamilton a ‘critical’ title advantage over Mercedes with one simple decision.

Last weekend, Hamilton won the Barcelona Grand Prix as he produced a stunning performance to take the chequered flag ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

After Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire from the race, Hamilton now sits 41 points behind the young Italian in the world championship standings.

Looking ahead, it is anticipated that Hamilton could mount a serious title charge if Ferrari continue to bring upgrades.

Your championship standings after the Barcelona GP. How worried should Kimi Antonelli be about Lewis Hamilton?

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Ferrari can give Lewis Hamilton ‘critical’ title advantage with simple decision

Writing in his latest column on F1’s official website, Palmer claimed that Ferrari could hand Hamilton a ‘critical’ advantage over Mercedes. 

The 35-year-old, who drove for Renault during his F1 career, stated that if Charles Leclerc fails to stay close to the frontrunners, Hamilton could become Ferrari’s no.1 driver, something he suspects Mercedes are ‘hesitant’ to do.

Palmer explained: “Mercedes have two cars still fighting each other. It probably didn’t affect the outcome in Spain in the end, but it is apparent that big battles between Kimi and George can open the door for their rivals.

“Leclerc will find his mojo again after an error-strewn run of races, but if Lewis stays in touch with the championship leaders and Charles doesn’t, might he have to fall into a supporting role this year at some point?

“If so, that could be a critical advantage that Mercedes will be a lot more hesitant to employ.

“As Lewis basks in the glory of his first win in nearly two years, it still feels early to think that this could be the start of his title charge, but when you add up all of the elements, there is certainly a cause for a bit more optimism.”

How badly will Toto Wolff regret Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari if Mercedes do not win the 2026 title?

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READ MORE: Fred Vasseur disagrees with Charles Leclerc’s verdict after Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona GP triumph

Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton could be ‘very difficult’ to stop

Despite Mercedes having the best package on the grid, team boss Toto Wolff is wary of Hamilton, who he knows very well.

Speaking after the Barcelona Grand Prix, Wolff stated that if Hamilton can ‘smell blood’, ‘he goes’.

As reported by ESPN, the Austrian said: “I’d rather not fight with him for a title, because I know what he’s capable of. If he smells blood, he goes.

“I’ve seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it’s very difficult to stop it.

“Obviously the engine management is completely different, but you can see he’s driving strong. The dynamics in the team look to be good between him and his race engineer.

“I saw him on the podium on the telly, I mean, that face shows me that he’s very happy.”