P1racenews AI automatic summary:
1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve was left impressed by Lewis Hamilton at the Baku City Circuit.
Jacques Villeneuve accused Lewis Hamilton of intentionally slowing down too late to let Charles Leclerc pass him in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Ferrari had a tough weekend in Baku, with Hamilton out in Q2 and Leclerc crashing in Q3. Both drivers struggled in the race and finished in eighth and ninth, with Hamilton ahead. Although Hamilton was allowed to pass Leclerc with fresher tires, he failed to return the position at the end of the race. Villeneuve believes Hamilton’s late braking and subsequent error was intentional, as he thought he could overtake Leclerc on his own. Hamilton eventually apologized to Leclerc, but Villeneuve felt the team orders were unnecessary, leading to Hamilton’s reluctance to give up the position again.
