Jonas Leo
Maranello, Italy – Ferrari’s Formula 1 team principal, Fred Vasseur, has responded to a visibly frustrated Lewis Hamilton following a challenging Las Vegas Grand Prix, urging a measured perspective and emphasizing the importance of team cohesion. Hamilton, in his inaugural season with the Scuderia, expressed profound pessimism after a race that saw him climb from the back of the grid to a points finish, yet left him deeply dissatisfied with what he described as his "worst season ever."
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, a highly anticipated fixture on the 2025 calendar, proved to be another hurdle in Hamilton’s nascent Ferrari career. The seven-time world champion crossed the finish line in 10th place on Saturday night, a recovery that belied the underlying struggles of his weekend. His race began from the back row, specifically P19, after a disastrous qualifying session where he failed to register a representative lap time during a wet Q1. This initial setback compounded the pressure on the British driver, who had shown promising pace during the earlier practice sessions, indicating potential that ultimately went unfulfilled when it mattered most.
Despite gaining nine positions on track and two further places after the post-race disqualification of both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Hamilton remained disconsolate. Speaking to media shortly after the chequered flag, he claimed to have taken "zero" positives from the entire weekend, delivering a candid assessment that underscored his deep-seated frustration with his performance and the trajectory of his 2025 campaign. "It’s certainly been a disappointing debut campaign at Ferrari for him," remarked one paddock observer, echoing Hamilton’s sentiments. At 40 years old, the seasoned champion currently sits sixth in the 2025 driver standings, notably yet to secure a grand prix podium for Ferrari and trailing his highly-rated teammate Charles Leclerc by a significant 74 points.
Vasseur, acknowledging the intensity of the moment for his star driver, adopted a pragmatic stance. "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, because the next two we will be back," Vasseur stated, referring to the upcoming rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi which mark the conclusion of the 2025 season. The Frenchman highlighted Hamilton’s earlier pace in Las Vegas, particularly in FP1 and FP2, as evidence that the potential for strong performance existed. "Keep in mind also that Lewis was there in FP1 and in FP2 the pace was good and we have to build up the weekend like this, and for sure to start from P20 [P19 due to Yuki Tsunoda’s pitlane start] is not the best way to have good results," he elaborated, offering a crucial contextual detail regarding the challenging starting position.
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The Ferrari team principal also provided insight into the immediate post-race media obligations that can often amplify a driver’s raw emotions. Vasseur suggested that the requirement for drivers to face media interviews almost instantaneously after exiting their cars, without a chance to fully process the race, contributes to such impassioned reactions. "TV pen five minutes after the race when you have a tough race, it’s very harsh for them," the 57-year-old explained. "I can perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion and to have a comment a bit harsh at this stage of the weekend."
Vasseur expressed a preference for genuine, albeit sometimes blunt, feedback from his drivers rather than platitudes. "I would say that it’s not normal… 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 we didn’t do the perfect job when the car was not good, to say ‘ok I’m frustrated’ than someone going to the TV pen saying ‘you know guys the team is perfect, the car is good blah blah blah’," he affirmed. This managerial philosophy underscores a belief in transparent communication within the team, even when emotions run high. He continued, "In this case you would be upset but you can’t blame them in any circumstances, and I think it’s quite normal as humans sometimes on the radio or just after the session to be a bit, not upset, but to be a bit on the emotion."
The core of Vasseur’s message, however, lay in redirecting focus from immediate public statements to constructive internal action. "Now the most important is not what they say in the TV pen, it’s what they do on the Monday morning with the team to try to do better and to try to push the team to do better – this is more the job of the drivers than [interviews in] the TV pen," he concluded. This emphasizes the critical role of post-race analysis and collaboration between driver and team in refining strategies and improving future performance.
Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari for the 2025 season has been one of the most significant moves in recent Formula 1 history, carrying immense expectations from both the Tifosi and the wider sporting world. His illustrious career, defined by a record-equalling seven world championships and a multitude of race victories, set an incredibly high bar. Prior to his move, Hamilton consistently challenged for titles and secured numerous podium finishes with Mercedes, making his current streak without a top-three finish at Ferrari a stark contrast to his established pedigree. The 74-point deficit to Charles Leclerc, a driver who himself has shown flashes of brilliance but also inconsistency, highlights the adaptation challenges Hamilton faces, whether related to the car, the team environment, or his own driving style. Leclerc, having been with Ferrari for several seasons, has a more ingrained understanding of the team’s operations and the specific characteristics of the SF-25 chassis.
The 2025 Ferrari challenger, while competitive at times, has not consistently delivered the performance needed to challenge the front-running teams, particularly Red Bull. The team has been striving to iron out issues with tyre degradation and overall car balance, factors that critically impact long-run pace and race strategy. Hamilton’s frustration likely stems from these systemic challenges combined with his personal struggles to extract maximum performance, particularly after promising starts to race weekends like in Las Vegas.
Looking ahead, the remaining two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be crucial for Hamilton and Ferrari. The Lusail International Circuit in Qatar is known for its high-speed corners and demanding physical layout, while the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi presents a mix of slower technical sections and faster straights. Both venues will offer different challenges and opportunities for Ferrari to demonstrate progress and for Hamilton to potentially break his podium drought. A strong finish to the season, even if it doesn’t dramatically alter his championship standing, would be vital for building momentum and confidence heading into the 2026 season, which will see significant regulation changes. The psychological aspect of ending a challenging debut year on a positive note cannot be overstated for a driver of Hamilton’s calibre and ambition. The focus now shifts from the desert glitz of Las Vegas to the hard work and determination required to finish the 2025 campaign on a higher trajectory.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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