Hamilton pushes Leclerc to focus on Ferrari challenge in next round!

Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has warned Lewis Hamilton against getting involved in on-track battles with teammate Charles Leclerc after the two Ferraris tussled for supremacy at the Shanghai Grand Prix. The two drivers appear closely matched in the early stages of this season and battled for the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, repeatedly overtaking each other before Hamilton eventually squeezed ahead. An energised Hamilton said afterwards “it felt like go-karting” and it proved a success story for F1’s new regulations for this season, with the lead exchanging several times in a dramatic few laps.

Ultimately however Leclerc lost out entirely, with the Mercedes of George Russell able to get past and take second, with Hamilton finishing third, despite the two Ferraris in second and third throughout their track battle. And Villeneuve has warned that similar fighting between teammates - although good-natured - could cost Ferrari in the long run, with the Mercedes pair of Russell and Shanghai winner Kimi Antonelli setting the pace in the early stages of this season. The Canadian said on Sky Sports: “Leclerc decided not to play the team game and played the Leclerc game, caught [Hamilton] by surprise, but he should have seen it coming.

The same thing happened in the Sprint [on Saturday]. “It turned out okay but it was a little bit extreme and destroyed Ferrari's race. They were running second and third, fighting so hard, destroying their tyres.

“At some point, if you keep taking lap time away from each other, it allows Mercedes to get away and they are not that far from Mercedes with a car that can race. Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back because they are not that far behind in points. ” The 1997 world champion added that both Scuderia drivers want to be “the man”, even if it risks their position in the overall standings.