Is Charles Leclerc prepared for a resurgent Lewis Hamilton?

In 2025, Leclerc owned Hamilton, who was hitting one low after another with the latter's life in Red starting in the worst way possible.

But the seven-time Formula 1 Champion has returned in 2026 a changed man, closer to Leclerc in terms of pace and bettering him as the season progressed, taking consecutive podiums in Canada and Monaco, topping that off with the win in Barcelona.

On the other hand, Leclerc, who was handed a Ferrari contract extension on the eve of his home race in Monaco, had been going through a rough patch, struggling for pace and becoming more error-prone with crashes in Monaco and in Qualifying for Barcelona.

Leclerc has come through the ranks of Ferrari's junior driver program and was labeled as the chosen one when he was promoted into the Red car in 2019, partnering an over-the-hill Sebastian Vettel and owning him in the process.

But a Championship is yet to come for the Monegasque with Ferrari, as it seems he and the team have become complacent, which is what 1997 F1 Champion Jacques Villeneuve hinted at speaking to Sky Sports' The F1 Show podcast.

"Leclerc had time to build the team around him, and he didn't," he said. "Bear in mind how he came into Ferrari was after an average season at Sauber and suddenly giving [him] the huge mega contract, like a world champion contract. Maybe too much too soon?

"He's never really had to build anything around him," the Canadian pointed out. "It was given; it was there.

"He was quick, and that was plenty because the perception was, that's a car that cannot win a championship anyway. You win a few races, you beat your teammate, who was Vettel. Everybody was happy."

But then Hamilton, now firing on all cylinders and having the experience of fighting for wins and Championships, threatens the Leclerc/Ferrari marriage.

While Leclerc briefly fought with Max Verstappen in 2022 when Ferrari started off with a decent car at the start of the ground-effect era, he made mistakes at the time before Ferrari's form faded away.

Regardless, Leclerc's performance was a complete contrast to how Hamilton fought Verstappen in 2021 taking the fight to the Dutchman till the last race in was will always be one of the most epic F1 showdowns in the history of the sport.

Villeneuve added: "Suddenly in comes Lewis last year, who's not having a great season.

"He's really having a hard time with the car, the team; it takes time to build this around yourself, so Leclerc is quite happy. He's looking good next to Lewis.

"But the minute Lewis woke up, the minute Lewis made that car and that team his own, and he's going for it and doesn't leave any quarter, Leclerc is not prepared for that," the former F1 driver concluded.

Hamilton has credited changes to his racing team, race engineer, and others, as well as a different approach to race weekends, for his improved form. Can Leclerc respond?