After the Hungarian Grand Prix of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, Lewis Hamilton made statements that sounded almost like a farewell. However, Scuderia Ferrari’s team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, stepped in to restore order and clarity ahead of the next race at Zandvoort.
Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is going through a difficult period, and after the race at the Hungaroring circuit, he did not hide his discontent. The British driver appeared disheartened and intensified the sense of crisis surrounding him with cryptic remarks that hinted at the possibility of bringing this chapter of his career to a premature end. Despite that, the idea of an early departure from Ferrari remains far-fetched, especially with a major technical revolution on the horizon in Formula 1 that might suit his driving style better. Moreover, his recent performance in Hungary deserves a more detailed and nuanced evaluation.
Is it really fair to describe Lewis Hamilton’s race weekend in Hungary as a “disaster”? According to Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur, the answer is no. The British driver was extremely close to his teammate Charles Leclerc during qualifying—he was eliminated in Q2 by just a few thousandths of a second. His Sunday race was then compromised by getting stuck behind DRS trains, which severely limited overtaking opportunities and made it nearly impossible to recover ground.
Lewis Hamilton remains a demanding driver—both with those around him and with himself—and his recent struggles highlight the need for him to regain the self-confidence he has been lacking for quite some time.
Vasseur confident: “Hamilton will be in Zandvoort and he’ll be strong”
Speaking to journalists, including correspondents from ScuderiaFans.com, Frédéric Vasseur reaffirmed his authority within the Ferrari garage and expressed strong support for Hamilton:
“[Hamilton] is a very demanding driver,” said the Frenchman. “But I think that’s exactly what makes him a seven-time world champion—he holds high expectations for the team, for the car, for the engineers, for the mechanics, and also for me. But above all, he is incredibly demanding with himself.”
Fred Vasseur added that this self-imposed pressure is a key part of what drives Hamilton and fuels his performance on the track. “That has always been the greatest source of his motivation,” said the Ferrari team principal. “It’s the main reason behind his success. Of course, it’s tough when you are a seven-time world champion and your teammate secures pole position while you get knocked out in Q2. It’s a difficult situation to process.”
He went on to explain that the Hungarian qualifying session requires a more accurate reading: “In Q1, Hamilton was ahead of Charles in the first run, and in Q2 he was only a tenth behind. We were actually very close to having both cars eliminated in Q2. So it’s important not to misinterpret the data—yesterday, the gap was not 1.2 seconds, as it might seem at first glance.”
Fred Vasseur said he fully understands Hamilton’s frustration, and underlined that it is completely natural in such a competitive environment. He also revealed that they had a long conversation after qualifying.
“He will come back. We spoke a lot yesterday,” said the Ferrari boss. “Today’s race was challenging because we made a strategic gamble by starting on the hard compound tyres. That decision meant Lewis Hamilton got stuck in the DRS train, which made it really difficult for him to move forward in the pack.”
The French manager emphasized that, when in free air and not hindered by traffic, Lewis Hamilton’s pace was actually very competitive. “When he was on his own, the race pace was good,” Vasseur affirmed. “He will definitely be present at Zandvoort and will be competitive there. Right now he is frustrated, but not lacking motivation.”
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