Vasseur: Hamilton "will always have my support"

A shock wave spread through the world of Formula 1 in February 2024 when Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes Benz to join the Reds of Maranello. But neither the seven-time world champion nor the Scuderia had anticipated the scale of the change Hamilton would have to face. He, who had spent ten years at McLaren then twelve years with Mercedes (the two teams share the same engine, just like Williams et Aston Martin) would have to adapt to an Italian stable and tame a different culture and an engine specific to the Prancing Horse, under pressure from fans impatient to see him shine in red.

« I don't know if we underestimated the importance of change. Probably. confessed Frédéric Vasseur. Because he spent 10 years at McLaren, then 12 at Mercedes, but it was a kind of continuity: two teams based in the UK, with the same engine, the same environment.. [Joining Ferrari] is a radical change for him, in his life, the team culture and everything else. To achieve that in three days of testing during the winter period is quite difficult, and I think the expectations were also enormous.. » Faced with a prolonged adaptation process, the director of the Scuderia remains calm. We have to put everything in place, and that takes time, Vasseur emphasizedWe also need to manage expectations and noise around the team. »

In a season where the competition is particularly tight, the smallest details are scrutinized by everyone and the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari was all the more delicate. The feedback [on performance] is positive or negative for a tenth of a second more or less, or more or less a wing adjustment that you made or not made – it's always marginal. If we are not able to put everything in place from weekend preparation, simulator adaptation, etc., until Sunday, you can lose a tenth here or there. It makes a huge difference in terms of pure results.”

Hamilton's performance at Ferrari is mixed

Accustomed to the top step of the podium, Lewis Hamilton has so far failed to place higher than fourth in his first season with Ferrari. The Briton is not comfortable in a car that is less performant than hoped. His teammate Charles Leclerc seems perfectly confident behind the wheel of his Ferrari, which he has been driving since 2019. Often behind Leclerc, the former Mercedes driver is struggling to get into the swing of things.

The Briton's struggles culminated this summer in Belgium and Hungary. At Spa, Hamilton had a disappointing weekend, crashing out in the first half of qualifying for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. He still made a superb comeback through the field to finish in seventh place. In Budapest, it was another lackluster weekend for the former champion, who qualified twelfth and finished in the same position. Hamilton, however, seemed refreshed from the summer break, despite a costly error at Zandvoort. The Stevenage native bounced back at Monza, where he ran an attacking race to come back to sixth despite a five-place grid penalty.

A wise leader, Vasseur supports and encourages his pilot despite these few missteps. On the contrary, explains the Frenchman, " It is up to us to support him when he is in difficulty, and we must also push him when he is in difficulty, he retorted. Spa and Budapest were difficult for him. However, he can be sure that he has the full support of everyone at Maranello to recover and come back. I am truly convinced that he will succeed. We must support him every day, and I will support Lewis every day. »

Fully aware of his driver's demands and determination, Vasseur believes unreservedly in Lewis Hamilton. It's about support and mentality. He's fully committed, he gives his all, greeted the director of the ScuderiaHe tries to get the best out of everyone, and he will always have my support for that."

ALSO READ > Lewis Hamilton optimistic despite his struggles at Ferrari: "I try not to worry"

Vasseur recognizes the talent of the seven-time world champion and is optimistic about Hamilton's future at Ferrari. He's a champion, he's doing very well and he's got the pace. The other characteristic is trying to get the best out of the people around you, extra motivation, an extra boost. It's certain that this characteristic is present [in him] »