Lewis Hamilton has spoken about the recent rumors suggesting that Christian Horner could be joining Ferrari as a possible replacement for Frédéric Vasseur. The seven-time world champion also revealed the reason behind the “many meetings” taking place in Maranello ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
Last year, Ferrari achieved a brilliant one-two finish in Austin, but this season’s situation is quite different due to the design flaws of the SF-25. The uneven asphalt at the Circuit of the Americas will force Ferrari to run with a slightly higher ride height to protect the car’s floor from excessive wear. Lewis Hamilton arrives in the U.S. after weeks of speculation linking Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to Ferrari, but the Italian team has made it clear that those rumors are unfounded and that full confidence remains in Fred Vasseur — at least for now. The number 44 driver discussed the topic during Thursday’s press conference in Austin.
Hamilton: “I don’t think these things are helpful”
“I don’t know where the rumors about Horner come from,” Hamilton said, “but the team has made its position clear by renewing Fréd [Vasseur] for the future, and we are all working together with that goal in mind. I know that everyone at the factory is focused and fully committed, and these kinds of rumors are not helpful. For me, it’s all about keeping our objective in sight and building the foundation for 2026. We must stay focused on next year’s car and keep developing from this season so that next year we can execute better and achieve stronger overall performance. As I already said in Spa, we’ve been having a lot of meetings.”
Lewis Hamilton’s words once again reflect his full confidence in Fred Vasseur, emphasizing that the team remains united in facing the challenges ahead. The British driver wants Ferrari to use this period to make sure that by 2026 the entire team is ready to operate at the highest level in every department. It’s known that the seven-time world champion recently sent another detailed report to Ferrari management, questioning the synergy between the track team and the factory in Maranello. One of the key areas that Ferrari must improve is the execution during qualifying sessions, where precision often determines the weekend’s outcome.
Whether Lewis Hamilton’s feedback and requests are being fully acknowledged remains uncertain, but he made sure to underline his determination once again. As the team heads into Austin, expectations remain modest.
“I’ve never had expectations other than giving my best and continuing to improve,” Lewis Hamilton added ahead of the United States Grand Prix weekend at COTA – “There are always positives to take from every weekend, but also areas where we can get better. After the last race, we spent time analyzing where we can improve, and I genuinely believe we can take a step forward this weekend to extract more from the car. We haven’t made major gains in terms of performance, but there’s more potential in the car, and if we execute things better, I think we can achieve more — that’s our target.”
