Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has called on Lewis Hamilton to “calm down” after the seven-time world champion criticised his own performances. Hamilton, now in his first season with Ferrari, labelled the campaign the worst of his 19-year Formula 1 career following a disastrous qualifying session in Las Vegas where he ended up last.
The 40-year-old admitted he is desperate for the season to finish, with only the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds remaining. He even suggested that he isn’t optimistic about next year either. But Vasseur defended Hamilton’s frustration while urging him to stay composed and concentrate on the final races still to come.
Vasseur noted that Hamilton showed promising speed during practice in Las Vegas, but starting from 20th on the grid made progress extremely difficult. He added that emotions run high immediately after a race and that Hamilton’s on-the-spot comments were understandably exaggerated.
Hamilton’s tough debut season with Ferrari hit a new low when he recorded the slowest qualifying time in Las Vegas. Although he fought through the field to finish 10th — later promoted to eighth after the disqualifications of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — he still ended the race almost a minute behind winner Max Verstappen. He trails teammate Charles Leclerc by 74 points and has yet to reach the podium for Ferrari, having been out-qualified by Leclerc in 17 of 22 races.
As Ferrari sit fourth in the constructors’ standings, Hamilton doubted their ability to catch Mercedes, who hold a 53-point advantage. He said his season has been filled with poor weekends and expects little improvement. Hamilton’s focus now shifts to Qatar, where Lando Norris could secure his first championship if he outscores Verstappen and Piastri by at least two points.
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