Montoya warns Leclerc must earn Hamilton's respect back as Ferrari tension set to reignite

Juan Pablo Montoya has predicted renewed friction between Ferrari team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, insisting the Monegasque driver must “earn that respect back” as the pair continue to battle on equal terms inside the Maranello garage.

Hamilton endured a difficult first season at Ferrari in 2025 but has bounced back sharply in 2026, claiming his maiden grand prix victory in red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. He currently sits third in the drivers’ standings, with Leclerc two places behind in fifth.

Despite mounting calls for Ferrari to designate Hamilton as its lead driver and impose team orders when the two are racing wheel-to-wheel, team principal Fred Vasseur has maintained a policy of equal treatment.

Montoya, speaking on F1 TV’s Weekend Warm-Up, was asked whether the tension between the two had been resolved. He was unequivocal.

“They’re going to get together again for sure. I mean, they’re not going to give each other an inch,” the Colombian said. “Charles needs to give Lewis a lot of room once, and Lewis is going to go, ‘OK, because I was fair to you and you were not fair to me. Now you need to really show me you want to play. You need to earn that respect back.’ And if he doesn’t, then Lewis is going to be all out, right?”

Alex Brundle, who joined Montoya on the programme, acknowledged the stakes extend well beyond the internal rivalry. “They need to get their heads together, though, because actually McLaren are homing in on them for the constructors’ championship, too, and have been really strong over the last couple of races,” Brundle said. “Lewis is under pressure in the drivers’ championship from Lando. So there’s something to play for if they’re going to bump wheels every weekend.”

Ferrari currently holds second place in the constructors’ standings with 358 points, while McLaren sits third on 306 — a gap that has been narrowing in recent rounds. With qualifying margins between Hamilton and Leclerc consistently tight, Brundle suggested further on-track confrontations between the team-mates are a matter of when, not if.