Ferrari Boss Discusses Helping Lewis Hamilton Adapt

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has downplayed speculation about seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s title contention for 2025, following his victory in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race. Despite winning from pole position on only his second competitive appearance for in March, Hamilton has since struggled, being disqualified from the Shanghai grand prix for a technical infringement and finishing seventh in Japan and fifth in Bahrain last weekend.

Helping Hamilton Adapt to His New Squad

Asked if there was anything the team could do to help Hamilton adapt to his new squad, having joined from Mercedes over the winter, Vasseur said: “Lewis is coming with his own experience, with 20 years of F1 with different teams, with almost 10 years at McLaren, 12 years at Mercedes, and it’s always good to have someone joining the team with this kind of experience, with this kind of vision, and to help us to improve.

Vasseur emphasized that they were treating both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc in the same way. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Lewis, Charles [Leclerc], or Carlos [Sainz, who Hamilton replaced last year], we are always trying to do the best for the drivers and to find a good balance for the car for him,” he said.

Vasseur also acknowledged that the media had been overly enthusiastic about Hamilton’s performance in China, stating: “We have a new car, it’s not the carry-over of the car of last year and probably that we are struggling a bit more to find the right balance and the right set-up.

The Challenges Ahead for Ferrari

Vasseur also pointed out the competitiveness of the grid, stating that it was making his life more difficult. “The ingredients are all there, but now it’s like cooking. You have to put the ingredients together at the right stage,” he said.

He added that they were focusing on pure performance and needed to stay calm and do analysis if they wanted to improve. “It was one of the skills of the team last year to be able to capitalize, and I hope that we’ll have the same pace this year,” Vasseur concluded.