Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has applauded Lewis Hamilton for his mindset and strong bounce-back after a rough qualifying session at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified ninth and admitted he felt he let the team down, calling his performance “poor” and apologizing to his Ferrari crew. But the seven-time world champion fought his way back to fifth place in the race—and showed signs he’s finally getting comfortable in his new car.
“I think I’ve figured out how the car likes to drive,” Hamilton said.
Despite some early-season struggles, including being outqualified 3–1 by his teammate Charles Leclerc, Hamilton is still adjusting after 12 years at Mercedes. Vasseur isn’t worried—he believes progress takes time.
“You won’t replace 12 years of collaboration in two weeks,” Vasseur said. “Lewis knows he has to adapt, and we’re adapting the car to him too. It’s a two-way street.”
Vasseur liked that Hamilton was upset after qualifying. To him, it showed passion and a drive to improve.
“I appreciated that he was disappointed. It means he cares—and on Sunday, he delivered a strong race,” he added.
Brundle: It’s Not About Age
While Hamilton turned 40 this year, Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle doesn’t think age is the reason behind his recent qualifying dips. Last season, Hamilton was outpaced 19–5 by teammate George Russell at Mercedes. This season, Leclerc has had the upper hand in qualifying too.
“I don’t think he’s lost his edge. He just hasn’t nailed how to set up this new car yet,” Brundle said. “And the younger drivers now have tons of experience despite being in their 20s.”
Ferrari Still Chasing Pace
Though both Leclerc and Hamilton finished in the top five in Bahrain, Ferrari still has work to do. The team trailed race winner Oscar Piastri (McLaren) by 20 seconds—even after a late Safety Car bunched the field up.
Vasseur admitted Ferrari is missing about 2–4 tenths of a second per lap, and said consistency is a challenge, especially with how sensitive the tires are this season.
“Sometimes we’re close to McLaren and Red Bull, other times we’re struggling,” he said. “It’s not just on the drivers—it’s on the whole team. We need to improve together.”
Ferrari heads to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, sitting fourth in the Constructors’ Championship—already 94 points behind leaders McLaren.
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