Fred Vasseur defends Ferrari’s equal support: “We’re pushing both cars the same way”. Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur addresses Lewis Hamilton's early struggles.

Lewis Hamilton not shining
Aside from the Sprint Shootout and the Sprint of the Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has not yet managed to be competitive at the front. The English Ferrari driver has actually appeared quite disappointed with his results and with the difficulties he is encountering in adapting to the SF-25. During the week leading up to the Jeddah race, the Briton spoke about the need to change his driving style and how challenging it is to immerse himself in a new environment after 12 years at Mercedes.

These statements prompted 1996 world champion Damon Hill to question the seven-time world champion’s comments, even asking on Instagram: “What’s going on?”

Fred Vasseur responds
In the traditional FIA press conference for team principals, Frédéric Vasseur was asked several questions specifically about Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari team principal naturally played the role of peacemaker, once again determined to maintain balance around his drivers and the team.

Regarding Lewis Hamilton’s results and his remarks about changing his driving style, he replied: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Lewis, Charles, or Carlos last year. We always try to do our best for the drivers and to find a good balance in the car for them. We are pushing equally on both cars. I think on Saturday night in China you were all a bit more enthusiastic, and now we need to calm down a little. We have a new car, not an evolution of last year’s, and we’re probably struggling a bit to find the right balance and the best setup. The positive aspect is that we’re working as a team, both drivers are pushing in the same direction, and there’s a good atmosphere within the team.” – the French manager pointed out.

Regarding Charles Leclerc’s better performance, he explained: “Certainly Charles is more accustomed to the team, that’s no secret and it’s obvious. But Lewis, with his experience, is an added value both for us and for Charles, because he’s helping him.”

Fred Vasseur, however, doesn’t see the same approach between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc: “There are never two drivers with the same approach—they’re rivals. They’re both champions with their own DNA and want to achieve the best. For us it’s a positive that they push each other, but they have a rival’s approach.” – the Ferrari team boss concluded.