{"id":213986,"date":"2025-10-15T04:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T04:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/213986\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T04:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T04:31:11","slug":"ferraris-fred-vasseur-on-working-with-lewis-hamilton-we-need-to-improve-step-by-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/213986\/","title":{"rendered":"Ferrari\u2019s Fred Vasseur on working with Lewis Hamilton: \u2018We need to improve step by step\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fred Vasseur always knew what he was signing up for when he agreed to become Ferrari\u2019s Formula One team principal at the end of 2022.<\/p>\n

Taking the reins of the most famous and successful team in F1 history, one that carries a prestige unlike anything else in the sport, would be the greatest privilege of his career to date. It would also bring the greatest pressure, the scrutiny growing whenever performances fell short of those lofty expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in this business for 30 years,\u201d Vasseur tells The Athletic in an interview over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. \u201cI knew perfectly that I will be exposed, I will get s\u2014.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrari\u2019s on-track performances this season have led to questions over the 57-year-old\u2019s future, the team\u2019s fifth team principal since its last championship in 2008. Although the team remains in contention for second place in the constructors\u2019 championship, its form tailed off from its near-miss of a first constructors\u2019 title in 17 years last season when it lost out to McLaren by just 14 points.<\/p>\n

While McLaren surged forward this year, romping to a comfortable title victory<\/a> with a dominant car, Ferrari struggled to clasp to its coattails. The team has failed to win a race, something Red Bull and even Mercedes have achieved, and the signing of Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, as a teammate to the consistently-quick Charles Leclerc, Ferrari\u2019s \u2018chosen one,\u2019 wasn\u2019t enough to make up for the shortcomings with the SF-25 car.<\/p>\n

Why did McLaren evolve into championship winners while Ferrari, which was neck-and-neck for performance just 12 months ago, couldn\u2019t even win a race? Vasseur believes consistency has been the key to McLaren\u2019s success this year, making it an outlier in a very tight field where a small change in conditions, such as the wind or track temperature, can have a huge impact on performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all oscillating up and down, but I would say that even when they are down, they are still there,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cAnd when they are up, they are flying.\u201d He doesn\u2019t believe there\u2019s any \u201csilver bullet\u201d on the papaya cars that makes them significantly quicker than the chasing pack. All Ferrari could do was look inward and work to improve its own car.<\/p>\n

The alarm bells started ringing as early as round two in China. Hamilton\u2019s sprint race pole and victory in Shanghai looked like a breakthrough, only for it to come crashing down the next day when both Ferrari cars were disqualified for excessive plank wear<\/a>. In layman\u2019s terms, the car ran too close to the ground, something that yields performance benefits by increasing downforce. Compromises had to be made for the following races, increasing the car\u2019s ride height which had a negative impact on Ferrari\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a big issue at the beginning, you lose a little bit (of) the path, you have to be on the safe side, and you are losing a little bit\u2026 the confidence and everything,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Fred Vasseur reacts in the pit prior to this year\u2019s Italian Grand Prix. (Marco Bertorello \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Vasseur was heartened by the reaction he saw from the team at Maranello, but the lack of results \u2014 just three podium finishes in the first nine races courtesy of Leclerc \u2014 meant the spotlight would inevitably start shining that bit brighter. By Canada in June, the first stories emerged in the Italian press questioning Vasseur\u2019s future and that of some Ferrari team members, some of whom had zero design input on the 2025 car.<\/p>\n

Having members of his team facing such speculation upset Vasseur, who went on the attack in a news conference in Canada. He denied the stories and claimed they were \u201creally hurting the team.\u201d An even more definitive answer to questions about his future arrived six weeks later when Ferrari announced Vasseur had signed a new contract, with chairman John Elkann professing his faith in the Frenchman.<\/p>\n

Despite being a few months removed from the height of those rumors, Vasseur remains frustrated by what unfolded, especially when figures like Loic Serra, the technical director he\u2019d waited almost 18 months to sign from Mercedes due to gardening leave requirements, were being put in the crosshairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, this is mega negative for us,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cI know that we have to work with pressure, and we have to deal with pressure. It\u2019s the DNA of our sport. But I think you have enough pressure on track to not get pressure at home. We know that we need to deliver. We need to get results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike some of his peers, Vasseur doesn\u2019t voraciously track what is being said in the press or on social media. He says he doesn\u2019t even watch TV. Apart from what he\u2019s told by Ferrari\u2019s communications team, he\u2019s unaware of the media chatter. \u201cAnd I feel pretty good about this,\u201d he says. But he knows the same cannot be true of the entire Ferrari workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d Vasseur claps his hands. \u201cThis is behind us. Let\u2019s be focused on the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrari worked to fine-tune the SF-25 car and remedy the ride height issue, with a breakthrough coming at Spa in July courtesy of a rear suspension upgrade. Leclerc was then able to snare a remarkable pole position in Hungary, one he still struggles to explain, only to then fade to P4 through the final stint of the race after leading the first half. While still winless, Ferrari has at least looked a bit more competitive of late.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the main issue is that we missed the good opportunities for us,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cA weekend like Baku, I think, for example, we had the pace to do much, much better.\u201d Hamilton suffered a narrow Q2 exit in qualifying Baku in September, while Leclerc crashed in Q3, leaving them to scrap in the lower-reaches of the top 10 through the race. \u201cIt is like it is now,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cWe have to pay more attention to execution, to do a good weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc walk in the paddock in Melbourne on March 15. (Paul Crock \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Leclerc\u2019s form has been a particular bright spot this year. Vasseur still thinks Leclerc is too harsh on himself, but is pleased by the evolution he\u2019s seen through Ferrari\u2019s swings in form. What stands out to Vasseur is Leclerc\u2019s \u201cperfect understanding of the team\u201d and how they work together.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes we didn\u2019t start to speak, but I know exactly what he\u2019s thinking \u2014 And I think the opposite is true also!\u201d he says. \u201cWe have full trust. I know that sometimes, when he\u2019s tough with the team, it\u2019s always to help. This feeling is constructive, going in the right direction to try to build up something.\u201d<\/p>\n

But what of Hamilton, the F1 great whose first season wearing the famous Ferrari red has, in his words, turned into an \u201cemotional rollercoaster\u201d? He\u2019s yet to record a podium finish, and endured a serious slump before the summer break, going as far as quipping that Ferrari should \u201cchange driver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vasseur was instrumental in signing Hamilton, the pair having remained friendly after working together when Hamilton was in junior categories on his way up to F1. \u201cLewis came with a huge expectation and motivation and everything,\u201d Vasseur says, recognizing there would always be a novelty factor to begin the partnership after so many years and so much success with Mercedes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that with Lewis, at the beginning\u2026 in French we say \u2018tout neuf\u2019 \u2014 all nice, all new. And we have to calm down. Mercedes has some items they are doing better, and we are doing better on some other items.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sprint win in China remains the high point of Hamilton\u2019s season, but his confidence has grown as the year has progressed, something that is also reflected in the narrowing margin to Leclerc across the garage. And he still has the faith of Vasseur, who is impressed by his star signing\u2019s progression and integration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say around Barcelona (at the end of May), he came back strong,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cHe\u2019s improving into the composition of the team. The team is improving into the composition of Lewis. So we have to make a kind of \u2018mayonnaise\u2019 now! We need to improve step by step. I know that I can trust him and he knows that he can trust me, and this is important. He knows that I will be fully dedicated to the team performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur ahead of the first practice session at Imola on May 16. (Marco Bertorello \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Hamilton told reporters in Singapore that Vasseur\u2019s support for him had been \u201camazing\u201d through this season.<\/p>\n

Vasseur\u2019s dedication was underlined by signing a new contract in the summer, one that ensures he can keep putting the puzzle pieces together for his \u2018vision\u2019 of Ferrari to come together. \u201cIt was important for me to work into the continuity, but (also) for the group,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause we are trying to build up something, and we need consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n

The long wait for signings such as Serra is why Vasseur always needed time to build the team as he wanted it. Despite identifying Serra as a key target soon after starting in 2023, F1\u2019s finicky gardening leave arrangements meant he couldn\u2019t join until late 2024, and won\u2019t impact a car design until 2026 \u2014 three years after Vasseur first set about getting his man.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are building up something with Loic, with Jerome (d\u2019Ambrosio, deputy team principal), with the guys in place,\u201d Vasseur says. \u201cI think the mood in the team is very positive, and we know what we want to achieve. We know what we want to do. And I think this dynamic is important, and it\u2019s important for today and for the future. I feel comfortable in this team.\u201d<\/p>\n

So too do the drivers under Vasseur. Leclerc, the spearhead of Ferrari\u2019s on-track success for much of the past seven years, welcomed Vasseur\u2019s \u201cvery honest view\u201d and realism running the team, even when pressure and emotions run high. \u201cThe team around, etc, he is building it,\u201d Leclerc told The Athletic. \u201cHe\u2019s still in the process of it. But I saw lots of improvements. I\u2019m sure that it will pay off. I just hope that it will pay off soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton joked that Vasseur \u201cstill wears the same clothes\u201d and is \u201cexactly the same as he was\u201d when they first met 20 years ago. He too welcomes that Vasseur is a \u201cstraight shooter\u201d and has laser-focused on finding improvements. \u201cHe\u2019s all about car performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going into 2026, when the regulations will be overhauled and present the entire grid with an opportunity to leap forward, a huge opportunity lies ahead for Ferrari. Vasseur gets excited by engineers coming to his office with new ideas and concepts, but admits to a sense of nervousness \u2014 one shared by every other team boss \u2014 that someone else could have already stolen a march.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it will be exciting \u2014 except if someone is dominating,\u201d Vasseur says, before adding another caveat with a laugh: \u201cAnd if it\u2019s not us! If it\u2019s us, it\u2019s fine! This will be mega exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fred Vasseur always knew what he was signing up for when he agreed to become Ferrari\u2019s Formula One…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":213987,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,12716,82],"class_list":["post-213986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-motorsports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}