Lewis Hamilton defends Ferrari staff: “Constant negativity from the media takes its toll”. Lewis Hamilton backs Frederic Vasseur.

Hamilton: “The constant negativity from the media has an impact on the team”
The British champion believes journalists play a role in worsening the atmosphere at Ferrari

Ferrari and the journalists

When discussing what failed to work during a disappointing 2025 season, last June team principal Frederic Vasseur had openly criticised parts of the Italian media, accusing them of “throwing sh*t at the team”. The French manager was particularly angry about the habit of “feeding the public” with the names of certain team members who then found themselves reading reports suggesting they were about to be replaced.

All of this, unsurprisingly, does not help create an ideal working environment at Ferrari. Vasseur went as far as explaining that “with this type of journalists around, you cannot win a world championship”, underlining how damaging constant speculation and negativity can be for a team already under pressure.

Hamilton agrees

Speaking on the Saturday of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton returned to the topic, largely agreeing with what Vasseur had said a few months earlier:

“I think it’s tough for all the mechanics, the engineers and everyone back at the factory. They give absolutely everything. There’s a constant negativity from the media that hits them. They go home to their wife and the wife says: ‘They said this about your colleagues’, and I’m sure that makes things hard for them. And also with the kids. There’s a huge effect on so many people,” stressed the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.