BREAKING:Fred Vasseur Understands Lewis Hamilton’s Frustration with Ferrari Strategy in… read more
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has expressed empathy for Lewis Hamilton following the seven-time Formula 1 world champion’s evident frustration during the Miami Grand Prix, where he finished in eighth place. The race saw tension brewing within the Ferrari garage, particularly through heated radio exchanges and strategic decisions that drew criticism from fans and analysts alike.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari for the 2025 season, voiced his discontent over the team radio, sarcastically questioning the strategy being employed and even suggesting, in jest, whether he should let teammate Carlos Sainz pass him. These comments were widely interpreted as signs of deeper frustration, though Hamilton later downplayed the severity, explaining that his remarks were made in sarcasm. Following the race, he reportedly told Vasseur to “calm down” during a discussion.
Speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Vasseur made it clear that he sympathized with Hamilton’s emotions. “I had a discussion with Lewis, and I can perfectly understand the frustration,” said Vasseur. “They are champions, they want to win races. We are asking them to let their teammate go. It’s not easy.” The Ferrari boss highlighted the challenge of such team orders, acknowledging that it’s always difficult to ask competitive drivers to concede track position, especially when they are striving for podiums and victories.
The situation intensified during the race when Ferrari made the decision to swap Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. However, after realizing that Hamilton couldn’t gain ground on Kimi Antonelli ahead, the team reversed the swap, placing Leclerc back in front. This decision, while logical in hindsight, added to the complexity and emotional pressure on the drivers, particularly Hamilton, who had hoped to make progress through the field.
Vasseur stood by Ferrari’s handling of the situation, emphasizing that from the pit wall, decisions must be made in real-time with limited information. “We can argue that it would have been better to do it the lap before,” Vasseur admitted, “but when you are in control, you need to assess if the car behind is genuinely faster or just benefitting from DRS. It’s not an easy call.”
Despite the media attention on the intra-team tensions, Vasseur insisted that this was not the most significant aspect of the race. “It’s not the story of the day,” he said. “We’d be much more keen to speak about why we finished one minute behind McLaren.” The Ferrari principal appeared more concerned with the team’s overall performance deficit, indicating that the priority should be improving race pace rather than internal drama.
In closing, Vasseur maintained that Ferrari made the right call under the circumstances, reaffirming the team’s commitment to collective success. “We are racing for Ferrari first,” he stated. “And honestly, I think as a team, we did a good job.”
