The head of the Ferrari Formula 1 group, Fred Vasseur, has shared his thoughts on the negativity expressed by Lewis Hamilton after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, suggesting that everyone needs to “settle down”.
The prominent racer, boasting seven world titles, concluded the Saturday night event in 10th place, having initiated the race from the last row due to a challenging qualifying session where he couldn’t complete a lap during the Q1 wet segment.
Despite Hamilton advancing by nine positions during the race, and gaining two more after the disqualification of both McLaren cars, he conveyed clear frustration afterwards, stating he found “zero” positives from the weekend, labeling it his “worst season ever”.
His initial season with Ferrari has presented unforeseen difficulties, leaving the experienced racer in sixth position in the 2025 rankings, still searching for a grand prix podium finish, and trailing his colleague Charles Leclerc by 74 points with just a pair of races remaining.
The outcome in Las Vegas was worsened by the promising pace Hamilton displayed during Thursday’s practice, only to see the progress undone during the critical qualifying round.
Vasseur believes the reality isn’t as dire as it appears: “I understand Lewis’s sentiment immediately following the competition, but we need to maintain composure, engage in dialogue, and prioritize the upcoming two races, where we expect a resurgence.
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Photo by: James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images
“Bear in mind that Lewis performed well in both FP1 and FP2; the speed was promising, and we need to develop the weekend from there. Certainly, commencing from P20 [revised to P19 due to Yuki Tsunoda’s start from the pitlane] isn’t conducive to achieving strong results.”
Vasseur suggests that the requirement for drivers to immediately undertake media engagements after track sessions exacerbated the situation – affording Hamilton insufficient time to regain composure.
“Conducting TV interviews a mere five minutes after a demanding race can be tough on the drivers,” the experienced team head stated. “I fully appreciate the surges of adrenaline and emotion, which can lead to somewhat stern remarks at that point in the event.
“It’s perhaps not ‘ideal’… although I’m not sure ‘ideal’ is quite right, but I prefer drivers to express themselves honestly after a race when we haven’t executed perfectly, or when the vehicle underperforms, expressing their frustration rather than presenting a facade of perfection to the media, praising the team and car when it’s not warranted.
“In such instances, discontent would be justified, but one cannot fault their sincerity. It’s natural for individuals to display emotion, be it on the radio or directly after a session.
“The pivotal aspect is not their media pronouncements, but rather their approach come Monday morning – collaborating with the team to enhance performance and drive improvements. This collaborative endeavor carries greater weight than the immediate post-race interviews.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
