Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Ferrari's championship hopes depend entirely on getting behind Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion's Barcelona-Catalunya victory moved him within 41 points of standings leader Kimi Antonelli, while teammate Charles Leclerc sits 30 points adrift after consecutive retirements.

Villeneuve argues Mercedes cannot currently favor either Antonelli or George Russell, but Ferrari faces an easy decision given Leclerc's position. Speaking on Sky Sports' The F1 Show podcast, he emphasized Hamilton's proven winning pedigree and warned that Mercedes won't show any favoritism once the Brit gains momentum.

Hamilton's turnaround comes after engineering changes and regulation updates helped him adapt following a difficult transition from Mercedes. Villeneuve suggested Leclerc received his massive contract prematurely, having joined Ferrari after an unremarkable Sauber stint. The Monegasque driver never faced real pressure to build the team around him.

Now Hamilton has made the car and team his own, leaving Leclerc unprepared for the fight. With the European season continuing at the Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari's strategy will determine whether they can close the gap to Mercedes' championship leaders.