Damon Hill says Ferrari should back Hamilton over Leclerc
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Former world champion Damon Hill said on Sky Sports' The F1 Show that Ferrari should make Lewis Hamilton their number one driver over Charles Leclerc. Anthony Davidson, on the same show, said that status has to be earned.
Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, has said Ferrari should back what he called an "extraordinary" Lewis Hamilton over team-mate Charles Leclerc if they want a chance of winning next year's drivers' title. He was speaking on Sky Sports' The F1 Show, in an article dated Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Ferrari's handling of its drivers drew scrutiny after the Mexico City Grand Prix, where a first-lap clash between Hamilton and Leclerc, running first and second, cost the team a likely one-two. Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race. Hamilton was critical of Leclerc after the race, and team principal Fred Vasseur also voiced his displeasure. Hamilton later said any issues between the pair had been "squashed" after a conversation at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Hill said Ferrari had invested heavily in Hamilton and that a team principal must decide how to handle the situation. He argued it made sense to put "all your eggs behind Lewis", and said he saw factions within the team favouring one driver or the other. Hill also noted that Hamilton has won races and taken pole positions this year.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson, also on the show, questioned whether Hamilton has earned number one status. He said such status must be earned, as he argued Verstappen has at Red Bull, and said he would not be comfortable with simply declaring Hamilton the lead driver.
Hamilton is fourth in the 2026 drivers' standings, a place ahead of Leclerc, with 12 points between them. The episode also covered Mercedes completing their title double and Lando Norris's victory in Brazil.
