Charles Leclerc’s impressive victory at the British Grand Prix has added a fresh twist to the Formula 1 championship picture, with Juan Pablo Montoya suggesting the title battle could become far more intense if the Ferrari driver can maintain this level of performance.
Leclerc secured his first race win of the season at Silverstone, marking a memorable breakthrough after a challenging opening phase to the campaign. The Ferrari driver made a strong start, moved into control early, and later benefited from a safety car period after Max Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull and ended up in the gravel at Stowe.
The race finished behind the safety car, with Leclerc taking the chequered flag ahead of George Russell, while his Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third place.
Speaking after the race on F1 TV, Montoya explained that Leclerc’s improvement may have come from Ferrari finally identifying the technical issues that had been holding him back. According to the former Formula 1 driver, teams spend long hours studying data to understand where a car is losing performance, whether through differential behaviour, brake migration, or another setup related detail.
Montoya added that once a driver and team find the solution, the next challenge is applying it across different circuits. He believes confidence will be key for Leclerc as Ferrari attempt to turn one strong weekend into a consistent run of results.
Hamilton has already been delivering regularly for Ferrari, and Montoya feels the championship could become much more exciting if Leclerc also begins finishing near the front every week.
Following his Silverstone success, Leclerc now sits fourth in the drivers’ standings with 108 points. Kimi Antonelli remains the championship leader on 179 points, followed by Russell on 154 and Hamilton on 147.
