Lewis Hamilton arrived at Maranello ahead of the 2025 season to a considerable amount of fanfare. The seven-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion joining Ferrari had the potential to be the stuff of legend.
Ferrari ‘underestimated’ difficulties with Lewis Hamilton switch
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari tenure has been underwhelming, but Fred Vasseur believes they ‘underestimated’ the challenge
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Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
But the results have yet to materialize, as Hamilton has not scored a grand prix podium since joining the Scuderia. And in the wake of a difficult Hungarian Grand Prix, where the driver referred to himself as “useless” and opined about Ferrari needing to find a replacement for him, rumors about his Ferrari future are swirling across the sport.
Speaking with The Race, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vassuer addressed Hamilton’s tenure with the team, outlining that both he and the driver “underestimated” the difficulties associated with Hamilton’s switch from Mercedes to Ferrari.
“Lewis and I, we collectively, probably underestimated the change of environment, and the fact that he spent, for me, 20 years in the same team,” explained Vasseur to The Race.
”McLaren was Mercedes, and then he moved to Mercedes: an English team, same engine guys, that same culture and so on.
“So he spent 2006 to 2024, 18 years, in this environment, and then he arrived at Ferrari. And we were stupidly expecting that he will have everything under control.”
According to Vasseur, Hamilton was adapting to life at Ferrari before difficult weekends at both the Belgian Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix.
”It took Lewis four or five races to be a bit more in control. And I would say that from Canada, Spain, UK, Austria, he was there. He was. In Spa he had a tough weekend, but for different reasons with a difficult qualifying. But then in the race, he was very good. And [Hungary] I think it was more details,” described the Ferrari boss.
“If you have a look at the classification, you see one is P1, the other is P12. But we were not far away from having Charles P11 and Lewis P12.”
As for Hamilton’s surprising comments in Hungary, Vasseur outlined that it was not a “drama,” and he understands how he and other drivers can be overly critical at times.
“He’s like this, and sometimes he was also like this at Mercedes,” said Vasseur. “For me, it’s not a drama.
”I understand the approach of the guy. I understand the philosophy, and the fact that he’s very, very demanding with me, with the engineers, with the mechanics, but mainly with himself.
”And this, I think, everybody can perfectly accept this, as long as the driver is also demanding with himself.”
Ultimately, Vasseur believes that Ferrari and Hamilton are making progress.
”I don’t want to give details, but point by point, I think we are fixing the issues,” concluded Vasseur.
The 2025 F1 season resumes next week with the Hungarian Grand Prix.
