Frédéric Vasseur defends Lewis Hamilton's record: "It is much more constructive."

For the first time in 18 seasons of Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton failed to reach the podium during the 2025 season. Struggling significantly, the Briton experienced a particularly difficult end to the year, especially in qualifying. Eliminated in Q1 three times between the São Paulo and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, the seven-time world champion nevertheless retains the full confidence of the team principal. Classic Ferrari for sale, Frédéric Vasseur.

“Lewis is completely different between his media appearances, where he doesn’t necessarily want to answer questions, and his attitude half an hour later in the debriefings.” the Frenchman argued on Canal+ microphone. He's much more constructive. So it doesn't bother me at all. I think the comments he makes at that moment… We're talking to the drivers too soon after the sessions. We should give them time to calm down, to process their emotions. Some are capable of speaking in an unbelievable way when they're P16, some aren't. Charles, when he's P2, manages to say that things aren't going well because he wants more. I understand him.

Vasseur sides with his pilots

While the last few weeks of this F1 season have been marked in particular by a rather controversial stance taken by John Elkann against Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeclercFrédéric Vasseur reiterated his desire to see his drivers continue to express themselves. According to him, the complaints of the Briton in particular, often interpreted as a certain fatalism, if not a certain powerlessness in the face of failure, ultimately sound like a deep desire to put Ferrari back at the heart of the competition.

“Honestly, having drivers who push us to our limits is our greatest motivator. They will always identify what isn't working in order to improve.” Frédéric Vasseur was delighted. That's the DNA of our sport. Whether you're first or tenth, you always have to have that desire to go further. I do exactly the same thing with the drivers. Just because they get pole position doesn't mean I won't tell them that they could have braked later in the first corner. I completely accept criticism when it's constructive.

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A clear guiding principle at Ferrari

Forced to also face criticism from the Tifosi following the 2025 season, the Italian manager has adopted a simple strategy of taking a step back. Although his attitude has sometimes been perceived as inaction this season, he is primarily trying to distance himself from the emotional concerns of the Scuderia's regular fans.

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"That's one of Ferrari's characteristics that doesn't exist anywhere else. Very quickly, when you have good FP1 sessions, you become world champion; when you have a bad FP1 session, you have to fire half the team." he joked. My job is to try to calm everyone down, to temper the enthusiasm, to lift everyone's spirits when things get tough. You can't make progress in this range of emotions. It's a demanding, time-consuming job, but I accept it and I knew it. I wasn't lied to before I signed.

Having impressed during his first two years as Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, this almost stoic approach has now been hampered by the first truly disappointing season of the Vasseur era. Hired to win, the Frenchman now hopes to capitalize on the decision to prioritize 2026 development over 2025 development, thereby enabling his team to return to the top.