Charles Leclerc must "earn that respect back" from Lewis Hamilton, says Juan Pablo Montoya

Ferrari team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are set to clash again, according to former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya warned that Leclerc needs to earn back respect from Hamilton after a turbulent season. While Hamilton faced struggles adapting to Ferrari in 2025, he made a strong comeback in 2026, winning his first Grand Prix for the team at the Barcelona-Catalunya race.

Currently, Hamilton sits third in the drivers' standings, with Leclerc in fifth. Despite some calls for Ferrari to favor Hamilton as their number one driver, team chief Fred Vasseur has maintained equal terms for both drivers. Montoya emphasized that the two drivers will inevitably face each other again, with Leclerc needing to prove his respect for Hamilton, stating, "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."

If Leclerc fails to show this, Hamilton will be all out, Montoya added. Additionally, Alex Brundle noted that McLaren is closing in on Ferrari for the constructors' championship, raising the stakes for potential on-track confrontations between the two rivals.