Fred Vasseur shuts down Lewis Hamilton form question with sharp response
Frederic Vasseur was asked whether he was confident Lewis Hamilton would "recapture his form"
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur shut down a reporter’s question about Lewis Hamilton’s recent form with a sharp response, pointing to his drive at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton had a mixed weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
The seven-time world champion failed to make it beyond Q1 in either qualifying session.
However, Hamilton put in an impressive race drive, recovering from the pit lane to finish seventh.
Hamilton made an inspired strategy call to stop early for slick tyres, propelling him up the order.
He was unable to overtake Williams’ Alex Albon after gambling on a high downforce setup due to the wet conditions.
Ahead of qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Vasseur was asked whether he was confident Hamilton would “re-capture his best form”.
Vasseur quickly responded: “I think it was on Sky that last week you said he had a fantastic race, no?”
Vasseur reacts to new Ferrari deal
Vasseur has been handed a Ferrari contract extension, ending speculation about his future.
Earlier this season, multiple Italian publications claimed that Vasseur was under pressure to keep his job.
Reacting to his new deal, he added: “I think it’s a long process. It was always true in F1 if you want to win you need stability and to create the right environment, the management, but more on the recruitment because people are still joining today. It’s good for the future and stability is key.
“We’re aligned because we’re continuing together first, and also because we are P2. I think that at least eight teams on the grid would love to be P2 in the championship and sometimes you forget this. The target is not to be P2, the target is to be P1, and we’re trying to be closer and closer to McLaren. It’s a challenge.
Pre-season expectations were high for Ferrari.
They narrowly missed out on the 2024 F1 constructors’ title, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren.
Vasseur was keen to point out that Red Bull and Mercedes have also underdelivered.
“I think it’s also true for Red Bull. It’s true for Mercedes. I don’t think Mercedes or Red Bull their target was to be P4,” he explained.
“I think we’re all there to win, all there to fight, all there to do our best. This year, McLaren has been better than us.”
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