Hamilton on Vasseur: same hoodie, same hard edges — and exactly what Ferrari needs
Nine months into life in red, Lewis Hamilton says the biggest constant at Ferrari isn’t the colour. It’s Fred Vasseur.
“Fred’s support in me has been amazing,” Hamilton said ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, reflecting on a first season at Maranello that’s been more grind than glory. No win for Ferrari yet in 2025, no podium for Hamilton either, and more than a few Sundays spent looking at what might’ve been. But he’s not rattled; he’s bought into the rebuild — and into the man leading it.
Hamilton and Vasseur go way back. The pair won Formula 3 and GP2 together at ART, a partnership that helped forge Hamilton’s path to F1. If you’re wondering whether time has softened the Frenchman’s edges, Hamilton isn’t.
“Not Fred. No. Fred still wears the same clothes, and he’s exactly the same as he was,” he said, grinning. “He’s clearly a straight shooter, clearly a massive competitor… and he was all about aerodynamics and performance. That’s what he’s all about today. It’s just all about car performance, which I think is a strength of his.”
Ferrari doubled down on that philosophy in the summer by handing Vasseur a new multi-year deal — a firm vote of confidence after the usual Italian chorus questioned whether the project was moving fast enough. The numbers are what they are: Ferrari remain locked in a three-way scrap with Mercedes and Red Bull for second in the Constructors’ standings, sitting third and 27 points behind Mercedes. The margins are tight. So are the nerves.
Hamilton, for his part, is leaning into the long game. “It’s not been the perfect year, as we know, but it’s been a lot of learnings, and I think we’re just going from strength to strength. I think we are more solid and more united as a team than ever before,” he said. “Each race, we’re learning something… and our shortcomings are things that it’s better to have now when we’re not fighting for a championship, than in the moment when we are.”
Read that as you like: a dose of realism, and a reminder that Ferrari’s 2025 has often been shaped by execution. Qualifying laps left on the table. Strategy windows missed by a lap. A car that can be sweet over a stint but picky over kerbs and in traffic. The internal message has been process over panic.
Vasseur’s style hasn’t changed since the ART days — unvarnished, engineering-led, allergic to distractions — and it happens to suit Hamilton, who’s relished a more hands-on role in development after years of front-running routine. Drivers will tell you culture shows up in lap time. Ferrari’s bet is that Vasseur’s culture will show up in trophies, too.
There’s also the matter of the man across the garage. Charles Leclerc has been the benchmark at Ferrari for years, and while we won’t wade into the weekly head-to-heads, the dynamic has sharpened the team. Two elite references. Two demanding feedback loops. Fewer excuses.
If there’s frustration in Hamilton’s voice, he hides it well. The focus stays on the climb, not the view. “We’re under no illusions,” he said. “Everyone is just flat-out focused on improving the processes.”
It’s the kind of line Vasseur would sign off on, probably while wearing the same old jumper. And if Ferrari’s ceiling in 2025 ultimately falls short of the title fight, you get the sense both men are already aiming one season further down the road, where all this scar tissue might finally count for something on a Sunday afternoon.
