Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has robustly defended Lewis Hamilton`s performance early in the current season. His comments came after a frustrating weekend for the seven-time world champion at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified and finished the race in seventh place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, significantly outperformed him, securing Ferrari`s first podium of the season by finishing third.
Apart from his Sprint victory and pole position at the second race in China, Hamilton has experienced a largely underwhelming start to his Ferrari career following his significant transfer from Mercedes.
The 40-year-old British driver appeared quite dejected after Sunday`s event, describing it as `horrible` and predicting that the remainder of his season would be `painful`.
Reacting to Hamilton`s results and remarks, Vasseur stated: “I will support him completely. I will provide him with backing, and first thing tomorrow morning, we will begin working to find solutions and understand the reasons [for the difficulties].”
“But honestly, I am not overly concerned. If you look at what he achieved in China, or his performance in the Bahrain race last week, or even the initial part of the session this weekend, the potential is undoubtedly there.”
“We just need to adjust the balance because collectively, both Lewis and us, are struggling with the car`s balance and how he is managing the tyres.”
“It`s a somewhat negative aspect, but I believe the car`s capability is present, and we will work to resolve this issue.”
Vasseur Dismisses Notion of `Dramatic` Change in Hamilton`s Form
During his post-race media briefing, journalists pressed Vasseur further on Hamilton`s performance, which eventually led to a sharp retort from the team boss.
When asked how Hamilton`s form had declined so `dramatically`, Vasseur responded: “It hasn`t been dramatic. We`ve only completed five races so far. I know you are eager for sensational headlines tomorrow like `Fred said this`.”
“But that`s absolute nonsense. Ultimately, we are in a competitive sport. There are always ups and downs.”
“When we are doing well, we aren`t automatically world champions. When we face difficulties, we aren`t completely lost either. It`s simply the nature of competition.”
Continuing to defend his driver, Vasseur suggested that Hamilton`s performances are being scrutinised differently compared to those of the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen.
The Dutch driver faced difficulties and finished seventh in Bahrain the previous week, before securing pole and finishing second to Oscar Piastri in Jeddah on Sunday (as stated in the source text).
While Verstappen is third in the driver standings, just 12 points behind leader Piastri, Hamilton is currently much further back in seventh place, trailing the Australian by 68 points (as stated in the source text).
Vasseur remarked: “I`m not sure you drew the same conclusion about Max last week when he was seventh. That`s just how things are. The competition is extremely tight.”
“You have ten cars separated by only a couple of tenths.”
“Look at Max`s results. He won in Japan. He finished 30 seconds behind Piastri in Bahrain (as stated in the source text), and in Saudi Arabia, he was P2 and secured pole position (as stated in the source text).”
“We simply need to remain calm. You [journalists] are free to worry if you wish; I won`t worry on your behalf. But for us as a team, we must focus on working methodically, step by step.”
“I will never be the type of person who declares us world champions or dismisses us as being nowhere. We operate as a team. Some weekends we encounter difficulties, on others, we achieve positive results. The crucial thing is simply to make progress gradually and maintain composure.”
This Isn`t a Transitional Year for Hamilton
A recurring discussion point during the initial weeks of the season has been Hamilton`s candidness about the challenges he`s facing adapting to Ferrari`s car and operational systems after his 12 years with Mercedes.
Despite this, Vasseur emphasized that he does not view 2025 as a `transitional` period for the British driver. He also stressed that he considers Hamilton`s evident frustration a positive indicator.
“It`s not a transitional phase, but of course, he`s disappointed because when you finish the race in seventh and your teammate is on the podium,” Vasseur commented.
“Honestly, I interpret Lewis being down as a positive thing, because if he were content with this situation, it wouldn`t be normal for a competitor like him.”
“He is a racer, a competitor; he wants to extract the maximum from what he has, and naturally, he is disappointed.”
“Now, we must work together, react together, and that is the only path forward.”
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton