Fred Vasseur backed Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time champion showed clear frustration following the Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix. Hamilton labelled the weekend his “worst season ever” despite eventually being classified eighth after McLaren’s double disqualification.
Hamilton’s anger followed a chaotic qualifying session. A wet Q1 prevented him from setting a final lap, forcing him to start from the back. He recovered several positions in the race, yet he still claimed he took “zero” positives from Las Vegas. His Ferrari debut season remains difficult, as he sits sixth in the 2025 standings and trails Charles Leclerc by 74 points.
Vasseur Highlights Hamilton’s Earlier Weekend Pace
Vasseur believes the disappointment overshadowed the strong signs Ferrari showed earlier. He stressed that Hamilton’s early practice speed offered a more accurate picture of their potential.
“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 said.
He added that Hamilton’s qualifying setback created a disadvantage no setup could overcome. “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 is not the best way to have good results.”
Ferrari Boss Says Emotional Reactions Are Normal
Vasseur also defended Hamilton’s immediate post-race remarks, saying modern media timings leave drivers no chance to reset.
“TV pen five minutes after the race when you have a tough race, it’s very harsh for them,” he explained.
He called such reactions human and understandable. “I can perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion and to have a comment a bit harsh at this stage of the weekend.”
Vasseur prefers honesty over forced optimism. “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’.”
For him, the real measure of a driver’s commitment happens after the cameras turn off. “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.”
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