Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has come out strongly in support of Lewis Hamilton following another frustrating weekend for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified and finished seventh in Jeddah, while his teammate Charles Leclerc delivered a much stronger performance, securing third place and Ferrari’s first podium of the 2025 season. Aside from a standout performance in China, where Hamilton took pole and won the Sprint race, his start with Ferrari has been underwhelming since making the high-profile switch from Mercedes.
Speaking after Sunday’s race, a visibly disappointed Hamilton described his experience as “horrible” and admitted the rest of the season “is going to be painful.”
In response, Vasseur didn’t hold back in defending his driver. “I’m 2000% behind him,” he said. “We’ll be back at it first thing tomorrow morning, trying to find answers and work through it. The potential is there—we’ve seen it in China, in Bahrain, and even early in this weekend. The issue lies in balance—both with the car and how the tyres are working for him.”
Vasseur Hits Back at Criticism
When questioned about the apparent dip in Hamilton’s form, Vasseur became visibly frustrated, calling the criticism premature and exaggerated.
“It’s not dramatic—we’ve done five races so far,” he said. “You’re all chasing headlines like ‘Fred said this,’ but that’s complete nonsense. This is competition—there are ups and downs.”
He emphasized the need for perspective, comparing the scrutiny Hamilton is facing to how reigning champion Max Verstappen’s recent form has been received. Verstappen finished sixth in Bahrain and second in Jeddah, but reactions to his performance were far more measured, Vasseur argued.
“You didn’t say the same when Max was seventh,” he said. “This is just how tight the grid is—there are 10 cars within a couple of tenths. He won in Japan, then was 30 seconds behind in Bahrain. These things happen.”
Remaining Focused
Despite the challenging results, Vasseur called for calm and a steady, methodical approach to improvement. “We need to keep working in tiny increments—hundredths of a second at a time,” he said. “We’re not world champions when we do well, and we’re not failures when we don’t. We’re a team. We’re in this together.”
Not Just a Transition Season
While Hamilton has openly spoken about the difficulties of adjusting to a new team and car after over a decade with Mercedes, Vasseur rejected the idea that 2025 is simply a transition year for the Briton.
“It’s not a transitional season,” he insisted. “Yes, he’s frustrated—and I see that as a positive. If he were satisfied finishing sixth while his teammate’s on the podium, that would be a problem. But Lewis is a competitor. He wants more, and that’s exactly the mindset we need.”
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