Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur responds to driver’s latest downbeat comments and urges calm | F1 News

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur says he can understand Lewis Hamilton’s latest downbeat comments after the Las Vegas Grand Prix and that it was more important to him what his drivers said outside the heat of the moment.

Hamilton’s disappointing first season at Ferrari hit another low point in Sin City and again saw the seven-time world champion express dismay with his form in his media interviews.

Hamilton finished last in wet qualifying – the first time in his 19-season career he had propped up the grid down to pace alone – and then finished 10th on the road in the race (which became eighth once the McLaren drivers were disqualified) behind Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 afterwards, a forlorn-sounding Hamilton said “I feel terrible” and described 2025 as his “worst season” in F1.

He added that “no matter how much I try, it just keeps getting worse”.

Hamilton told the written media that, on the basis of his current form, Ferrari were “done” in their attempt to claw back second in the Constructors’ Championship over the final two races, while he also told BBC Radio that he was even “not looking forward” to “next season”.

When Hamilton’s latest public critique was put to Vasseur in the Frenchman’s media session later on, the Ferrari team principal said: “I can understand the reaction from Lewis just after the race.

“But we just have to calm down, to discuss and to be focused on the next two [races] because the next two, we’ll be back.

“Keep in mind also that Lewis was there in FP1, FP2 and the pace was good.

“We have to build up the weekend like this and I think to start from P20 is not the best way.”

‘I prefer to have drivers being very open at the end of the race’

Known to wear his heart on his sleeve throughout his illustrious career, Las Vegas was not the first time this season that Hamilton had admonished his own performances and the troubled nature of his maiden campaign at Ferrari.

After qualifying at July’s Hungarian Grand Prix, he described himself as “useless” and suggested Ferrari “probably need to change driver” after he took 12th on the grid while team-mate Charles Leclerc claimed pole.

Then, after a difficult weekend a fortnight ago in Sao Paulo which saw him pick up early race-ending damage for a collision with Franco Colapinto, Hamilton said he was living a “nightmare” due to his lack of results.

That latter comment was followed a day later by Ferrari chairman John Elkann saying the team’s drivers needed to “focus more on driving and talk less” amid their slide to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Vasseur said he could understand why drivers were at their most frustrated in the immediate aftermath of a race and that he still would rather them vocalise that than attempt to gloss over difficulties.

“The TV pen five minutes after the race when you have had a tough race is very hard for them. You can perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion,” he said.

“I don’t know if normal is the right word, but I prefer to have drivers being very open at the end of the race when you didn’t do the perfect job, when the car was not good, to say ‘I’m frustrated’ than someone going into the TV pen and saying ‘I know guys, the team is perfect, the car is good’ blah, blah, blah. In this case, you would be upset.

“You can’t blame them in these circumstances and I think it’s quite normal as a human sometimes on the radio or just after the session to be a bit, not upset, but to be a bit in the emotion.

“Now, the most important [thing] is not what they say in the TV pen, it’s what they do on the Monday morning with the team. They try to do better, they try to push the team to do better and this is more the job of the drivers than [what they say in] the TV pen.”

Vasseur still sees Hamilton positives despite struggles

The Ferrari team principal also insisted that Hamilton’s pace at recent events had been better than some of his results had suggested.

“It’s true that on the mathematical side the last couple of weekends were very difficult with Brazil DNF, Mexico the penalty,” said Vasseur.

“But overall, I think Mexico, Austin, were probably also the best weekends of Lewis in terms of pure performance.

“But now it’s true for the team also, we didn’t put everything together the last two or three weekends.

“That’s why on the mathematical side and on the championship, we took a huge step down. But in terms of pure performance, I think it’s where we are not in so bad shape.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar GP schedule

Thursday November 27
3pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
6pm: Paddock Uncut

Friday November 28
11.05am: F2 Practice
1pm: Qatar GP Practice (session starts at 1.30pm)*
3.30pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
4.05pm: F2 Qualifying*
4.50pm: Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 5.30pm)*

Saturday November 29
1pm: Qatar GP Sprint build-up*
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT*
3.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook*
4.15pm: F2 Sprint
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday November 30
11.55am: F2 Feature
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s season-ending triple header continues with the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime