Ferrari boss responds to Hamilton’s brutal ‘next season’ complaint

Fred Vasseur says he has no problem with his Ferrari drivers voicing their frustrations over the radio or in the TV pen, it’s what they do on a Monday morning to improve the situation that really matters.

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were recently on the end of an unexpected broadside from Ferrari president John Elkann, as he said some people at the Scuderia were “not up to par”.

Lewis Hamilton has called 2025 his ‘worst season ever’ in F1

He also said Hamilton and Leclerc needed to “focus on driving and talk less” and suggested the team was struggling this year because of a lack of unity behind the scenes.

Talking less, though, isn’t easy for the drivers, given their obligatory media briefings throughout the grand prix weekends.

There is, of course, also the human element as they vent their frustrations as Leclerc did after qualifying ninth in Las Vegas.

“My god, embarrassing, f***ing embarrassing. F***ing hell, I don’t get how we can be so off the pace. There’s like zero grip, zero f***ing grip,” he fumed.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was downbeat after the race even though he recovered from 19th on the grid to eighth at the chequered flag.

“It’s a terrible result. There is nothing positive to take from today,” Hamilton told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I’m eager for it to end, I’m looking forward to it ending. I’m not looking forward to the next one.”

Asked to clarify if that was the next race in Qatar which he was referring to, Hamilton replied: “Next season.”

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Vasseur was asked specifically about Hamilton’s comments after the race as it’s not the first time the seven-time World Champion has lamented his “worst season ever” in Formula 1.

The Frenchman, however, downplayed it as while he acknowledged the results have not been great, there has been performance in the SF-25.

“It’s true that the mathematical side, the last couple of weekends were very difficult with Brazil DNF, Mexico the penalty and this one,” he said.

“But overall, I think Mexico, Austin was probably also the best weekends for Lewis in terms of pure performance. But now it’s true for the team also, and we didn’t put everything together the last two weekends and it’s why on the mathematical side and on the championship, we did a huge step down.

“But in terms of pure performance, I think we are aware we are not in so bad shape compared to the mid-season.

“I can understand the reaction from Lewis when just after the race, but he just has to calm down to discuss and to be focused on the next two.

“Keep in mind also that Lewis was there in FP1, FP2 with the pace was good, and it means that we have to build up the weekend like this. And for sure, to start from P20 is not the best way to have good results.”

But in the wake of yet another weekend when neither Ferrari driver had words of encouragement when they spoke with the media, Vasseur was asked if perhaps the drivers should talk less as Elkann suggests.

“You know perfectly the system, the TV pen five minutes after the race,” he explained. “When you have a tough race, it’s very hard for them. And I can perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion, and to have a comment that’s a bit harsh at this stage of the weekend.

“I would say that it’s normal. I don’t know if normal is the right word, but I prefer to have drivers leaving very open at the end of the of the race when you don’t do the perfect job, when the car was not good, I’m frustrated, than have someone going to the TV pen say ‘I know guys, the team is perfect, the car is good’. In this case, you will be upset.

“But you can’t blame them with any circumstances. And I think it’s quite normal as a human sometimes on the radio or just after the session, to be a bit not upset, but to be a bit on the emotion.

“Now, the most important is not what they say on the TV pen, it’s what they do on the Monday morning with the team to try to do better and to try to push the team to do better. This is more the job of the drivers than the TV pen.”

Asked specifically about Elkann’s comment about the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Ferrari team principal insisted it was not seen as criticism but as a positive message to encourage the team.

“For sure you want to push the team to do better, to do a better job, to work as a team and so this, we have to take it as a positive message and a supportive message now that for sure, today, it’s a difficult weekend, but it has nothing to do with this, or it’s more a technical matter.”

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