Vasseur Demands Ferrari 'Do a Better Job Everywhere' to Revive Hamilton's Fortunes

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has issued a blunt assessment of Lewis Hamilton's difficult first season with the team, stating that a comprehensive improvement across all areas—not a single fix—is required to make the seven-time champion competitive in 2026. Hamilton finished sixth in the standings without a podium in 2025, a stark contrast to teammate Charles Leclerc's performance.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's high-profile move to Ferrari was one of the biggest stories in F1 history, but his first year fell dramatically short of expectations. For Ferrari to capitalize on this partnership and mount a serious title challenge under the new 2026 regulations, they must solve the fundamental integration issues that plagued the 2025 campaign. Vasseur's candid admission of underestimating the challenge underscores the scale of the task ahead.

The details:

Vasseur pinpointed several critical areas where Ferrari and Hamilton failed to synchronize, costing crucial performance in an ultra-tight midfield.

• Engineer-Driver Chemistry: The relationship between Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, has been under scrutiny, marked by strained radio communications. Vasseur did not confirm Adami would remain in the role for 2026, stating, "We’re evaluating all options."
• The Underestimated Transition: Vasseur admitted he personally underestimated the difficulty for Hamilton after two decades in the Mercedes ecosystem. "Every single software is different, every single component is different, the people around him... if you are not on the top of everything, you leave on the table a couple of hundredths of seconds," he explained.
• The Cumulative Loss: In a field where one-tenth of a second can cover ten positions, these small deficits in understanding and operation added up to a significant competitive gap over the season.

What's next:

Vasseur has ruled out a simple solution, emphasizing a granular, team-wide effort. The focus for 2026 is on perfecting countless minor details rather than finding a "magic bullet."

• The team must improve its collaboration with Hamilton and understand his specific needs better.
• Hamilton, in turn, must work on extracting the maximum from the car he is given.
• The upcoming 2026 regulatory reset represents a crucial opportunity for Ferrari to build a package and operational environment tailored to Hamilton from the ground up, but it requires immediate and relentless attention to every aspect of their partnership.