Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari, as well as his arrival in Scuderia, dominated the headlines of Formula 1 during the past year. A seven times pilot champion who addresses one of the iconic sport teams? The headlines wrote themselves.
However, the headlines do not have a leg as positive as Tifosi may have expected. While Hamilton assured Ferrari’s first victory in the F1 Sprint race in the China Grand Prix, his results have been quite unequal since they joined the team. His best grand prize prize, a P5, arrived at the Bahrein Grand Prix. He has also delivered a couple or P7 Testes (in Japan and Saudi Arabia), a P10 in his debut in the Australian Grand Prix, and a disqualification after his SF-25 inspections after the race failed in the Chinese Grand Prix.
These results have Hamilton sitting at 31 points this season, and the seventh in the classification.
He is also seven points from the rookie Kimi Antonelli, the 18 -year -old driver who replaced him in Mercedes.
Even so, Ferrari’s head, Frederic Vasseur, continues to trust the new team driver, since the team director gave Hamilton’s emotional support after Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Speaking with the media gathered after the race, Vasseur went to Hamilton’s own comments after the race, which would be a “fight” for him this season, by supporting his pilot.
“I will be 2000 percent behind him. I will give him support and start from tomorrow morning to try to find solutions and reasons and work early in the morning,” Vasseur began.
“But honestly, I am not too worried. If you take a look at what he did in China or what he did in the race in Bahrain last week or simply in the first part of the session on this weekend, the potential is there sure.”
Vasseur then highlighted the areas that the team wants to improve the SF-25 for Hamilton and, therefore, its performance.
“We just have to adjust the balance because, collectively, Lewis and we, we are fighting with the balance of his car and [how] He is working on the tires, “Continuo Vasseur”. He is a child of a negative place, but I think the potential of the car is there and we will try to solve that. “
Ferrari’s chief was pressed on Hamilton’s performance, and how the results had fallen “dramatically.” Vasseur rejected that point of view, noting that we are only only five race weekends in the season.
“It’s not dramatically. We made five races so far,” Vasseur began. “At the end of the day, we are in competition. You have ups and downs. When we have, we are not world champions. When we have below, we are nowhere. It’s just a competition.
The competition is tight.
“You have 10 cars and a couple of tenths. Take a look at Max [Verstappen]. He won in Japan. Ended 30 seconds behind [Oscar] Piastri in Bahrain, and in Saudi Arabia was P2 and had the pole position. “
Ferrari’s chief also touched Consuelo in Hamilton’s frustration. In his eyes, the fact that the legendary driver was frustrated is something good, because he illustrates his competitive spirit and his desire to happen.
“It is not a moment of transition, but for anyone it is inactive because you finish the race in sixth teammate is on the podium,” said Vassuer.
“Honestly, I tell myself so positive that Lewis is inactive because I was happy with this, it would not be normal. He is a corridor, he is a competitor, he hears the best of what he has and for someone is disappointed.
“Now we have to work together to react together, and it will be the only way to move forward.”
Vasseur’s comments are more than a team leader who supports his driver, are a complete and precise reflection where we are in this F1 season. The competition is tight, and Vasseur’s illustration with respect to Verstappen is a good point. A week you can be fighting in the front of the field, the next one you can be fighting for the third quarter.
Then there is the adjustment period that Hamilton is going through. While Vasseur ruled out the idea that this is a “transition” season for the legendary driver, he has to unlearn everything he did in Mercedes and learn a new operation in Ferrari. To the steering wheel. Ferrari made some accommodations for Hamilton to reflect with what he was familiar with his Mercedes days, but as the driver admitted before the season, he has been.
“It’s strange that you go out and simply fits,” Hamilton admitted before the preseason tests.
“All switch settings are completely different. The software is different and everything. I am adapting to a car that has been done very differently than I have worked on in the past.”
This will take time, but Vasseur supports him.
As should.
