Former champion speaks out on Ferrari dispute saying ‘Hamilton did everything right’ – Things are not going well at Ferrari right now, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix only added to the confusion. Lewis Hamilton caused a stir when he ignored team orders instructing him to let Charles Leclerc pass.
His refusal drew criticism from within the team, but not everyone agreed with their stance. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has now weighed in on the matter, stating that Hamilton was perfectly justified in ignoring the instructions. In fact, Villeneuve thinks Ferrari are in the wrong.
Hamilton’s team order drama
The incident unfolded late in the Baku race. Ferrari told Leclerc to let Hamilton back through after the Briton had overtaken with fresher tyres.
However, Hamilton never complied. Instead, he continued to push, finishing ahead and leaving Leclerc unimpressed. Leclerc delivered a cutting post-race remark, dismissing the situation with sarcasm: ‘I don’t really care; it’s only about eighth place. So he can be happy about that. It’s just stupid because it’s not fair.”
This summed up the mood at Ferrari, a team already under pressure due to strategic errors, missed opportunities and criticism from fans and the Italian media. Yet Villeneuve, never one to mince his words, sided firmly with Hamilton.
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Villeneuve defends Hamilton
Speaking to OLBG, the 1997 champion said: “Lewis Hamilton did well. He did really well. Ferrari asked Leclerc to let Lewis past, but it wasn’t necessary. Lewis was so much faster with the new tyres that he would have overtaken him anyway.”
Villeneuve argued that the team’s instructions were redundant. In his view, Hamilton applied common sense rather than disrespecting Ferrari. “I suspect that’s why Lewis didn’t want to let him past again,” he added.
For Villeneuve, this is yet another example of Ferrari issuing muddled orders rather than trusting their drivers. To him, Hamilton’s actions were pragmatic, not disobedient.
Hamilton’s apology and Ferrari’s frustrations
Hamilton himself adopted a more conciliatory tone after the chequered flag. He admitted that he had misjudged the situation, claiming that he had eased off the throttle but hadn’t given Leclerc enough room to regain his position.
“I will apologise to Charles,” he said, though this didn’t erase the incident’s impact.
Hamilton’s frustrations with Ferrari had already been building before the race even began. After a poor qualifying performance left him outside the top ten, the seven-time champion criticised the team’s tyre strategy, a recurring theme of his first season in red. For a driver accustomed to consistent success at the front of the grid, Ferrari’s current chaos must feel like déjà vu from years past.
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Ferrari’s declining form
The ignored team order is just a symptom of wider problems. Ferrari are in decline, and Villeneuve didn’t hold back in his assessment: “First, there was the big announcement that Fred Vasseur had been re-signed. And then the team went downhill,” said the Canadian.
The renewal of Vasseur’s contract was supposed to provide stability. Instead, Ferrari have regressed.
According to Villeneuve, the Scuderia has squandered recent opportunities. “Monza was supposed to be the perfect weekend for Ferrari, but it wasn’t. In the past, Baku was a great track for Leclerc at least, but this year it was one of their worst weekends. So that’s two very bad weekends in a row since the summer break.”
Ferrari, he concluded, look “completely lost at the moment” and “obviously need a new direction”.
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Team orders: a Ferrari tradition of chaos
For long-time Formula 1 fans, Ferrari’s team order dramas are nothing new. From the infamous ‘Fernando is faster than you’ message in 2010 to the numerous confused radio calls in recent years, the Scuderia has a talent for transforming straightforward situations into chaotic headlines.
The Hamilton-Leclerc incident is just the latest chapter in this ongoing saga. The irony is hard to miss: Ferrari finally convinced a seven-time world champion to join them, only to micromanage him in battles for eighth place. It’s not quite the glorious comeback the Tifosi were promised.
The Villeneuve perspective
Jacques Villeneuve’s comments carry extra weight because he has always been outspoken about drivers’ autonomy versus team control. To him, racing instincts should prevail over pit-wall micromanagement. By that logic, Hamilton’s refusal to follow Ferrari’s orders wasn’t rebellion, but rather an expression of his racing instincts.
However, that doesn’t mean Villeneuve is giving Hamilton a free pass for everything. In this case, however, the Canadian sees Ferrari as undermining themselves. Team orders are meant to maximise results, not create unnecessary conflict over midfield scraps.
There is a wider crisis at Ferrari
Ferrari’s slump goes beyond one race or one radio call. The team has failed to deliver a car capable of achieving consistent podium finishes in 2025. Their strategies have too often backfired, and their reliability remains patchy. Meanwhile, rivals such as McLaren and Red Bull continue to set the pace.
Hamilton joined Ferrari in the hope of reviving both his career and the Scuderia’s fortunes. Instead, he finds himself apologising for squabbles over eighth place, while Villeneuve highlights Ferrari’s lack of direction from the sidelines. If they cannot rediscover form quickly, the once-proud team risks sliding into irrelevance.
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What’s next for Ferrari?
The Italian team is now under intense scrutiny. Every mistake fuels speculation about leadership, driver harmony and long-term planning. Leclerc’s sarcastic remark hints at tension between teammates, while Hamilton’s criticism of strategy suggests underlying frustration.
Villeneuve’s verdict that Ferrari are “completely lost” will be a hard pill to swallow. However, unless results improve, it’s hard to disagree with him. Re-signing Vasseur was intended to signal stability, but it has only delivered more confusion.
The Azerbaijan incident may seem minor in the grand scheme of things, just a squabble over eighth place. However, it highlights a deeper problem at Ferrari. A champion driver ignoring team orders, a teammate resorting to sarcasm and an ex-champion publicly ridiculing the team paint a grim picture indeed.
For Hamilton, this is a test of patience. For Leclerc, it’s a further indication that Ferrari is unable to provide him with the means to succeed. For Ferrari, it’s just another chapter in their ongoing saga of chaos and missed opportunities.
It remains to be seen whether this season will mark a turning point or just another false dawn. But one thing is clear: Ferrari cannot afford many more weekends like Baku. Otherwise, not even the great Lewis Hamilton will be enough to rescue them from their own confusion.
Do you agree with Villeneuve’s defence of Hamilton, or do you think Ferrari should have enforced the order more strictly? Let us know in the comments.
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A Brazilian motorsport writer with a background in sports journalism and broadcast reporting, Treze brings cultural insight and on-the-ground knowledge of South American racing. With credentials in communications and journalism, Treze connects today’s Formula 1 with the enduring legacy of Ayrton Senna.
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.