Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur said he understands Lewis Hamilton’s negative comments after the Las Vegas Grand Prix and values what drivers say away from the heat of the moment. Vasseur stressed the importance of processing raw reactions while remaining focused on the remaining races.
Hamilton endured a difficult weekend in Sin City. In wet qualifying he was slowest on pace alone — the first time in his 19-season Formula 1 career that has happened — and he crossed the line 10th in the race, later promoted to eighth following two McLaren disqualifications, finishing behind Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg. After the race he described feeling “terrible,” called 2025 his “worst season,” said Ferrari’s challenge for second in the Constructors’ Championship looked over and admitted he was not even “looking forward” to next season.
Vasseur said those comments were understandable immediately after a tough race. He urged calm and concentration for the final two rounds, noting that Hamilton had shown good pace in Friday practice sessions and that starting from the back of the grid was a difficult way to begin a weekend. “We just have to calm down, to discuss and to be focused on the next two [races], because the next two, we’ll be back,” he said.
Hamilton has been openly frustrated at other points this season, too — calling himself “useless” after Hungary qualifying and describing a poor Sao Paulo weekend as a “nightmare.” Those public complaints prompted Ferrari chairman John Elkann to urge the drivers to “focus more on driving and talk less,” as the team slipped to fourth in the Constructors’ standings. Vasseur defended drivers’ immediate reactions, arguing post-race interviews capture raw emotion and adrenaline and that honesty is preferable to a forced, upbeat performance when things have gone wrong.
“What matters most is not what they say in the TV pen, it’s what they do on the Monday morning with the team,” Vasseur added. He said drivers should channel frustration into action — working with engineers and pushing the team to improve — rather than being judged solely on post-race soundbites.
Vasseur acknowledged Ferrari has not “put everything together” over the last two or three weekends, naming Brazil and Mexico as examples that hurt them in the points battle. At the same time, he pointed to encouraging signs on pure pace in events such as Mexico and Austin, suggesting the car and driver performance are not as far off as the championship position implies. He called for calm and focus as Ferrari prepares for the closing rounds of the season.