F1 | Hamilton negative in interviews, Vasseur: “Sometimes I don’t feel like answering either”
The 2025 season was a difficult one for Lewis Hamilton, and at times he appeared negative in interviews. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has now shared his view on the matter. According to Fred Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton remains very optimistic about Ferrari, despite several media appearances during the 2025 Formula 1 season that came across as particularly downbeat. After all, his first year with the Scuderia did not go according to plan.
In truth, the seven-time world champion likely experienced the worst season of his Formula 1 career, failing to reach the podium for the first time, unlike his team-mate. He finished the year sixth in the championship, 86 points behind Charles Leclerc. Mistakes on the team’s side did not help either, with the double disqualification in China standing out as a clear example.
It was not the debut season Lewis Hamilton had hoped for at Ferrari, and on several occasions he allowed his disappointment to show through the media. Even Toto Wolff pointed out that the Briton has always been very emotional, and his extremely short interviews with one-word answers made it clear how frustrated the 40-year-old was. It was obvious that he wanted to do anything but stand in front of a camera answering the same questions over and over again. However, Fred Vasseur defended him, stating that this behaviour does not reflect the amount of work Lewis Hamilton has been doing behind the scenes.
The words of Fred Vasseur
The seven-time world champion is highly motivated behind closed doors, and, according to the Ferrari team principal, that is what truly matters.
“When you go out in Q1, I really hope that the driver is very angry with himself and with the team,” Fred Vasseur said, referring to the moment when Lewis Hamilton became the first full-time Ferrari driver to be eliminated in Q1 three races in a row, from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi. “I’m not sure that you, as a journalist, would prefer someone to go on TV and say, ‘No, everything is normal, blah, blah, blah’ – all the usual bullshit.”
“I perfectly respect the drivers’ position when they have this kind of attitude. Then the most important thing for me is to have someone who works with the team. It’s much better to have someone who doesn’t speak in the TV pen and who goes back to the debrief, talks with the engineers and tries to find solutions. That’s the attitude Lewis had even when he went through a difficult period in the final part of the season, and that is what is transmitting positive energy to the team,” he explained.
“Now, honestly, and I am exactly in the same situation with all of you, when you jump on me and I am walking to the garage after a difficult race and you have a lot of questions, sometimes I don’t want to spend too much time answering.”
Fred Vasseur also showed understanding towards Lewis Hamilton, who made a major change in 2025, moving after 12 years at Mercedes to his first season in a team with different habits and a different way of working.
“It has been difficult for Lewis,” the 57-year-old added. “Personally, I underestimate the step. It’s not that we are going better or worse, it’s simply that we are working differently.” – the French manager pointed out.
“It’s not just about food or the weather, it’s that every single piece of software is different. Every single component is different. The people around him were different,” the Ferrari team principal concluded.
In summary, Fred Vasseur has dismissed concerns regarding Lewis Hamilton’s short-tempered media interviews, viewing his frustration as a natural reaction to a difficult debut season at Ferrari. The French manager emphasizes that Hamilton’s focus remains on technical collaboration and finding solutions behind the scenes rather than maintaining a polished public persona during tough times.
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