Charles Leclerc handed unwelcome verdict after Silverstone victory

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has insisted he does not view Charles Leclerc as a genuine title contender despite his victory at the British Grand Prix.

Leclerc claimed his first win of the season last Sunday as Ferrari secured its second victory in the last three races.

The Monegasque looked set to come under intense pressure in the closing stages from Kimi Antonelli, who held a significant tyre advantage after making his final pit stop later than Leclerc.

However, a major technical issue struck the Mercedes driver, easing Leclerc’s path to victory.

“Of course Kimi Antonelli should have won the British Grand Prix, were it not for his damage so it’s not like Charles has just blown the competition away,” Palmer wrote on F1.com. 

“Lewis Hamilton found himself less happy with his Ferrari too for the Grand Prix part of the weekend.

“It doesn’t take away though that this was the best we’ve seen from Leclerc all season and there was a key initiator with this new set up direction that seems to have brought him back to life. 

“Whether or not he can carry that into Spa remains to be seen, but it certainly looks encouraging.”

Across the opening phase of the season, Hamilton has been the stronger performer at Ferrari and has been identified as Mercedes' biggest challenge to the title, sitting 32 points down on Antonelli.

But with Leclerc a further 39 points behind his team-mate, Palmer is unconvinced Leclerc will be able to have a say in the championship fight. 

“Mercedes still have the fastest car in the hands of Antonelli, yet his points gap at the top of the championship continues to reduce after another reliability issue in a car that has proven to be more fragile than the Ferrari,” he said.

“I still maintain that Charles is too far back in the championship to mount a title challenge, but you never know, and having him back on his best form can only be a great asset to his team and particularly Lewis Hamilton in his own fight.

“And Ferrari showing form at a circuit like Silverstone, is certainly the most promising sign that they could be here to stay in the championship conversation.”