Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton’s recent assertion that he is “not fast anymore,” offering support to the incoming Maranello driver while emphasizing his enduring speed.
Following a qualifying session at the Lusail International Circuit, where Lewis Hamilton ended up seventh, nearly four-tenths behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell, the seven-time Formula world champion expressed frustration, stating, “I’m just slow, same every weekend,” and “I’m definitely not fast anymore.”
The British driver, who holds a record 104 Formula 1 pole positions, has faced challenges in qualifying during the era of ground-effect cars. His solitary pole position in 2023 came at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he has been decisively outperformed by George Russell in head-to-head qualifying sessions, losing 5-19 in Grand Prix qualifying and 6-24 when sprints are included.
Despite these struggles, Lewis Hamilton’s new teammate at Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, known for his blistering pace over a single lap, is poised to join him at the Scuderia. However, the Ferrari team boss remains confident in Lewis Hamilton’s capabilities, insisting that the British driver still possesses significant latent speed, despite his recent frustrations.
“Ask that question to [George] Russell on Sunday [in Abu Dhabi],” Frederic Vasseur replied. When asked about Lewis Hamilton’s “I’m not fast anymore” comment, the French manager referred to the decisive last-lap move for fourth place on his former Mercedes teammate.
“It is on Sunday that you are scoring points first, and I am not worried at all about this. He has had tough moments in quali, but the quality of Abu Dhabi was linked to the performance of Lewis. He had very good races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, and I was never, never worried about the situation. I don’t want to blame Lewis or Mercedes but this situation is not easy to manage and if it is not going well, the relationship can suffer. It was not very well in his mind, he was clear about this in Brazil, but he did very well in the last couple of events, so I am not worried.” – the former Alfa Romeo boss continued.
Lewis Hamilton is set to make his much-anticipated debut behind the wheel of a Ferrari in January, where he will drive a 2023-spec car as part of the regulations that permit testing of previous-season vehicles.
Frederic Vasseur provided insight into how Ferrari plans to integrate the British driver into the team, highlighting the significant role the Maranello team’s simulators will play in his transition. He detailed how the team would adapt to welcoming the seasoned Mercedes driver, emphasizing the importance of familiarizing Hamilton with Ferrari’s unique processes and systems. The simulators, according to Frederic Vasseur, will be a crucial tool in ensuring a smooth adaptation as Hamilton prepares to step into the car, offering him the opportunity to learn and refine his approach before hitting the track.
The French manager mentioned that they were aware there would be many procedures to assimilate over the next few days, but he believed Lewis Hamilton was experienced enough to handle it. He added that they would have the advantage of using the simulators. Fred Vasseur explained that Lewis Hamilton would be able to perform a race simulation, a qualifying simulation, and get fully prepared with the steering wheel and all the specific details of the car. However, he stated that he wasn’t concerned about it, as he didn’t consider it to be the biggest challenge.
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