Vasseur dismisses Hamilton's 'rage' comments, focusing on team improvement
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says he ignores Lewis Hamilton's emotional post-session comments about "unbearable" rage, focusing instead on constructive work. This follows Hamilton's worst F1 season, marked by no podiums and public frustration, while Vasseur highlights Charles Leclerc's critical but positive team dynamic as the model.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has stated he disregards the emotional outbursts of his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, made in the immediate aftermath of sessions. This comes in response to Hamilton's admission of feeling an "unbearable amount of anger and rage" following a disastrous first season with the Scuderia, which saw him fail to score a single podium finish for the first time in his career.
Why it matters:
Hamilton's public expressions of extreme frustration and Vasseur's deliberate choice to ignore them highlight the intense pressure and internal dynamics at Ferrari. After a season where the seven-time champion was consistently outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc and faced criticism from chairman John Elkann for public complaints, the team's management is drawing a clear line between emotional venting and constructive criticism, prioritizing the latter for moving forward.
The details:
- Lewis Hamilton's 2025 season with Ferrari was historically poor, ending with four consecutive Q1 eliminations and an 86-point deficit to teammate Charles Leclerc.
- Team principal Fred Vasseur explicitly stated he does not pay attention to driver reactions in the "TV pen" or over team radio immediately after sessions, attributing them to raw emotion.
- Vasseur contrasted Hamilton's approach with that of Charles Leclerc, whom he has known for 16 years, describing Leclerc's frequent criticisms as part of a "positive dynamic" that pushes the team to improve.
- The Ferrari boss emphasized that the key for him is drivers returning to the engineering office to work constructively on solutions, not their heat-of-the-moment comments.
Between the lines:
Vasseur's comments serve as a public management strategy, attempting to deflect focus from Hamilton's very visible struggle and reframe the narrative around internal work ethic. By praising Leclerc's similarly critical but team-oriented mindset, Vasseur is subtly setting an expectation for Hamilton's integration. Meanwhile, Hamilton's plan to completely disconnect—"unplug from the matrix"—without his phone this winter signals a driver at a critical juncture, seeking a mental reset after a season that has tested his legendary resilience like never before.