Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has called on Lewis Hamilton to maintain his composure following the seven-time world champion’s blunt assessment of his Las Vegas Grand Prix performance.
After qualifying slowest for the first time in his Formula 1 career at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton started from P19, benefiting from Yuki Tsunoda’s pit-lane start. He quickly made up positions in the chaotic first turn, running 13th on the hard tyres that suited the circuit. Despite making progress, Hamilton became trapped behind Haas driver Esteban Ocon, eventually finding a way past only to see his race stall during his second stint on medium tyres. By the checkered flag, Hamilton crossed in 10th place on track, 8.2 seconds behind Nico Hulkenberg in the customer Ferrari-powered Stake.
After exiting the SF-25, Lewis Hamilton described his Las Vegas race as “meaningless.” However, his final classification improved to eighth following the double disqualification of the McLaren drivers, earning him three additional points. When pressed about these comments, Fred Vasseur emphasized the need for patience before making post-race judgements, especially while emotions were high.
Vasseur explained that the main challenge for Lewis Hamilton was starting from the back of the grid. He acknowledged that while the first part of the race had been reasonably solid, the Ferrari struggled on the medium tyres, impacting overall progress. He stressed that immediate reactions can sometimes overstate the situation, urging the team and Hamilton to discuss performance calmly during the official debrief rather than immediately after leaving the car.
Fred Vasseur reflected on recent challenges for Ferrari, noting that events like the Brazil DNF, Austin difficulties, and penalties in Mexico and Las Vegas had compounded frustrations. Despite these setbacks, he highlighted that Lewis Hamilton’s performances in Mexico and Austin were strong in terms of pure pace. The team, however, did not consistently put all elements together, contributing to a significant points loss in the championship standings. In terms of raw performance, Fred Vasseur insisted Ferrari was not in as poor a position as during mid-season.
The Ferrari principal acknowledged Lewis Hamilton’s post-race reaction but urged focus on the final two races of the season. The Frenchman reminded fans and media that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion had demonstrated solid pace during FP1 and FP2, and that starting from P20 inherently made achieving a strong result more difficult. The French manager emphasized that the team’s struggles were not solely due to performance issues but also factors such as penalties, on-track incidents, and qualifying challenges. He concluded that while performance improvements were necessary, success largely depended on how the weekend was built and executed, rather than purely on the car’s speed.
Overall, Fred Vasseur’s comments were a reminder that, despite the challenges faced by Lewis Hamilton in Las Vegas, measured analysis and focus on the remaining races are crucial for ending the 2025 season on a positive note.
Leave a Reply