Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Fred Vasseur has addressed the ongoing Lewis Hamilton struggles claiming he “sometimes exaggerates the problems” he sees in the car and “extreme outbursts” only make things worse.
The seven-time F1 world champion who made a high-profile move to the Scuderia after over two decades at Mercedes has experienced a difficult transition, marked by inconsistent results and visible frustration.
Since joining Ferrari at the start of the season, Lewis Hamilton has not claimed a podium in any of the first 14 races and currently ranks sixth in the 2025 F1 drivers’ standings.
His lack of competitive performance relative to his teammate Charles Leclerc who has already secured pole position and five grand prix podiums, has fueled speculation on his future with the team.
The nadir of Hamilton’s season came before the summer break at the Hungarian Grand Prix where he publicly labeled himself “useless” and suggested Ferrari should consider changing drivers after qualifying 12th behind Leclerc’s pole.
This candid moment of self-doubt underscored the tough adjustment period he is experiencing and signaled the psychological pressure he is under.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has acknowledged that they collectively “stupidly” underestimated how difficult the transition would be for Hamilton.
After spending the better part of his F1 career within the Mercedes team structure and environment, shifting to the Scuderia’s culture, team dynamics, and car characteristics proved far more challenging than anticipated.
Vasseur whose relationship with Hamilton dates back to GP2 having overseen his 2006 title win as ART Grand Prix team boss, has admitted that the driver’s outbursts often worsen the situation and stressed the need to “Stay calm” when things go wrong.
“Build on the fact that he has already taken the first step don’t let things like what happened in Budapest get you down,” Vasseur told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“Lewis is very self-critical. He is always extreme in his reactions. Sometimes he is too hard on the car, sometimes on himself. He wants to get the most out of himself and everyone in the team.
“You have to calm him down and explain to him that in Q2 [in Hungary] he was only a tenth of a second behind the driver [Leclerc] who later took pole position. That’s no big deal.
“The message he sends out only makes things worse. Most of the time, he’s only that extreme with the press. By the time he comes into the briefing room, he’s usually calmed down again.“
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“That’s just his way. For me, it’s no big deal. He demands a lot. From others, but also from himself. I can live with that.
“Nico Hulkenberg was the same when he drove for me in Formula 3. He demanded an awful lot from the team, but he was also there every morning at 6.30 a.m.”
Ferrari’s internal situation is strained not just by Lewis Hamilton struggles but also by challenges with the car itself which prompted the British driver to take initiative by sending documents to Maranello as he seeks improvement.
Reports claim Hamilton continues to lack the feel of the SF-25’s engine braking, which is believed to have played a role in his unusual spin at 2025 F1 Belgian GP last month.
Vasseur acknowledged the team has been working hard to regain competitiveness through upgrades and focus on execution at race weekends but made the striking claim that Hamilton “sometimes exaggerates the problems he sees” with the Ferrari car.
“We solve the problems step by step,” Vasseur explained. “They’re not huge, they just look that way.
“If the braking system isn’t quite how the driver would like it, then maybe half a tenth is lost there. From the outside, it’s often difficult to quickly identify exactly where he’s losing that half-tenth.
“Such a minimal time difference can ruin your whole weekend. It can be the difference between Q2 and Q3. Lewis sometimes exaggerates the problems he sees in the car.
“The team then naturally wants to respond and everyone jumps on the problem.”
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