Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lewis Hamilton has a golden opportunity to inflict significant psychological damage on Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc during this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The Colombian driver suggests Hamilton’s recent momentum could create substantial pressure on the Monegasque, who is looking to bounce back from what he called the “worst weekend of my career” in Canada.
Leclerc arrives at his home circuit fresh off signing a multi-year contract extension with Ferrari, but the timing has created an intriguing dynamic within the Scuderia. The deal was announced following his disastrous Canadian Grand Prix performance, while Hamilton secured his best Ferrari result to date with a second-place finish in Montreal, giving the seven-time world champion significant momentum heading into Monaco.
Speaking on F1 TV, Montoya emphasized the strategic importance of this weekend for Hamilton. “He is in a really good position because he comes from a really solid street course to another,” the former McLaren and Williams driver explained. “You’ve got Charles with a new contract, and this is the perfect opportunity to beat Charles and put a lot of pressure on him.”
The former race winner believes Hamilton’s experience could prove decisive in Monaco’s unique environment. “Charles’s contract was probably signed before Canada, I would assume. You have a new contract, and you have a bad weekend, then it gets announced. If Lewis could beat him here, it would be huge. It would be a big blow mentally,” Montoya stated, adding that while Leclerc has shown strong form at Monaco previously, “you’ve got a seven-time world champion next to him.”