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Following Lewis Hamilton’s emotional victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix, the vice president of the Prancing Horse, Piero Ferrari, has issued a bold prediction regarding Charles Leclerc’s 2026 F1 campaign.
Hamilton’s trip to the top step of the podium in Barcelona marked the very first time this year that Mercedes have been beaten in the Grand Prix format.
Lewis Hamilton is now only missing a Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari 🏆 Predict when it will come?
It was a highly encouraging weekend for the Maranello-based outfit, who can take a lot of confidence away from the fact that the seven-time world champion’s victory was based solely on merit rather than any bad luck befalling their rivals.
Of course, Kimi Antonelli retired from the race with five laps to go, but he was unlikely to threaten Hamilton’s lead in the closing stages of the race. At the chequered flag, the Briton had stretched out nearly 20 seconds on top of George Russell in P2.
Ferrari’s pit wall can also be very happy with themselves for the part they played in Hamilton breaking his duck at the team. A perfectly executed strategy saw Hamilton pull off a flawless three-stop programme, culminating in a record-extending 106th victory for the 41-year-old.
Piero Ferrari is ‘convinced’ Charles Leclerc will emulate Lewis Hamilton’s results this year
In an interview with renowned F1 journalist Leo Turrini for Quotidiano Sportiva, Enzo Ferrari’s second and only living son, Piero Ferrari, was asked about both Hamilton and Leclerc’s title chances following the Briton’s clinching of a maiden victory for the Scuderia.
Your championship standings after the Barcelona GP. How worried should Kimi Antonelli be about Lewis Hamilton?
The iconic Italian car manufacturer’s vice president is now very confident in his team being able to challenge front-runners Mercedes and has no doubts over Leclerc’s ability to be a protagonist in the title fight.
“The fact is that everyone goes through difficult periods,” Ferrari began. “I have no doubts whatsoever about Charles’s quality; he has given us so much and will continue to give us a great deal more.
“In Spain, his weekend – before the breakdown in the race – had been compromised by a mistake in qualifying, when he had pole position in his sights. He’ll bounce back.”
Leclerc suffered yet again on Sunday, but this time, it was through no fault of his own. Moments after Antonelli pulled over with an engine issue, the Monegasque driver reported a failure in his power steering system.
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He was forced to trundle back into the pits and out of the race, just four laps from the chequered flag. Ferrari was also asked whether the possibility of Hamilton’s resurgence becoming a psychological issue for Leclerc can be ruled out.
The 81-year-old asserted, “Yes, because I know Leclerc and he’s not the type to crack under pressure just because he has a very strong team-mate.
“After all, Lewis is a seven-time world champion, holds all the records and is a benchmark for everyone. But I’m convinced that Charles will soon be able to savour the taste of victory too.”
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