Lewis Hamilton is seeking redemption in these final races of the year. The negative record from the first part of the season, during which he did not secure a single podium, led to a heavy moment of discouragement in Hungary, when he said on camera that “Ferrari should change driver.” Between Zandvoort and Monza, his spirit has renewed, although notable results are still missing.
Despite the British driver not meeting the very high expectations set at the start of the year, Frederic Vasseur has no intention of pointing fingers or replacing him. “Budapest was difficult for him, but he had the full support of Maranello to recover. I am convinced he has the qualities to do well, and we will support him every day. In China, he achieved a good result, and everyone was already thinking about the championship. He dipped and then recovered toward Monaco and was consistent; even if Spa and Hungary did not go well for various reasons, the pace was there. He is very focused and pushes like crazy, trying to get the best out of everyone, and that is a characteristic he has carried with him for years,” the Frenchman told Beyond The Grid.
Behind the lack of performance is not a lack of talent, but rather the fact that Hamilton is facing a very important leap, from Mercedes to Ferrari, with the media at his heels. “I fear we are underestimating the importance of the change,” Fred Vasseur further explained. “He spent the last 12 years with Mercedes, and before that, he spent 10 years at McLaren. He had continuity with English teams, with the same engine. This is a change of culture and environment, and expectations were very high. He is taking time to settle in, and we also have to manage all the noise around the team. In the end, we are talking about details, because there are positive or negative comments for a single tenth, or for a wing flap. These are all marginal things, and we must remember that.” – the French manager concluded.
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