Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur responds to the negative interviews given by Lewis Hamilton in 2025. The Ferrari driver often appeared downcast in front of the cameras after disappointing qualifying sessions, but according to the Frenchman, he did not carry this negativity back to the garage. “He tried to find solutions afterwards,” reveals Vasseur.
A sixth place in the drivers’ championship with a deficit of 86 World Championship points behind teammate Charles Leclerc was all that Lewis Hamilton could muster at the end of the 2025 season. The Brit did not secure a podium finish for Ferrari in any of the main races, and was therefore completely done with the season after Abu Dhabi. “No one will be able to reach me this winter,” said the seven-time world champion. “My phone is going in the bin.”
This was not the first time Hamilton had spoken to the press in a downcast mood. However, these media appearances by the Brit do not represent his behind-the-scenes demeanor, says team boss Frédéric Vasseur. “If you get knocked out in Q1, I hope the driver is extremely angry with himself and the team,” Vasseur defends Hamilton, during Ferrari’s press conference in Maranello. “I’m not sure if you, journalists, would prefer someone to go to the TV press conference and say: ‘No, everything is normal, blah blah’ – all the usual nonsense.”
Vasseur’s Understanding for Hamilton
The Frenchman fully understands Hamilton’s attitude following a disappointing result. “I respect the attitude of drivers who behave in this way. The most important thing for me is that someone works with the team,” continues the team boss. “It’s much better to have someone who barely speaks in front of the TV cameras and returns to the debriefing, talks with the engineers, and tries to find solutions. That was Lewis Hamilton‘s attitude, even during difficult moments in the latter part of the season, and it gives the team positive energy.”
Finally, Vasseur candidly shares his own occasional reluctance to engage with the press. “Now, honestly, I find myself in exactly the same situation with all of you (the press). When you approach me after a tough race and I go to the pit wall and you have countless questions, sometimes I don’t want to spend too much time answering those questions.”
