Summary

• Hamilton says Frédéric Vasseur remains the right person to lead Ferrari.
• The seven-time champion believes the discussion must also include the management structure above the team principal.
• He says Ferrari’s straight-line power deficit and the pressure on its staff complicate its recovery.

Lewis Hamilton has backed Frédéric Vasseur to continue leading Ferrari, but suggested that changes elsewhere in the organisation could help the team move forward. Speaking at Sepang on Thursday, the seven-time Formula 1 champion argued that Ferrari’s difficulties cannot be attributed to its team principal alone.

His comments followed Ferrari’s public declaration of confidence in Vasseur after Christian Horner discussed his interest in the role. Hamilton supported the Frenchman while directing attention towards the wider organisation and the decision-making structure above him.

“Fred is a fantastic leader. He really is the guy to take this team in the right direction,” Hamilton said;

Hamilton stressed the importance of stability and having everyone working towards the same objective. Ferrari has repeatedly changed team principals during its long championship drought, and the Briton questioned whether concentrating scrutiny on that position adequately addresses the organisation’s problems.

He pointed out that Vasseur operates within a hierarchy, with other senior figures holding authority above him. Ferrari chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna had both been identified in the team’s earlier statement as supporting the current leadership.

Hamilton would change Ferrari’s structure

Hamilton’s assessment went beyond defending Vasseur against speculation. Asked about the contrast with Mercedes, where Toto Wolff combines team leadership with an ownership stake, he acknowledged that he would make changes at Ferrari, although he declined to identify them publicly.

“There are changes that I would make but I am not going to talk about what those are,” Hamilton said.

The comparison matters because Vasseur and Wolff operate with different responsibilities and levels of authority. Hamilton’s remarks raised a question about Ferrari’s structure without specifying which positions or individuals he would change.

His defence also recognised Vasseur’s contribution to the team’s progress. Hamilton credited the Frenchman with helping Ferrari reach second in the constructors’ championship, while maintaining that responsibility for the next step extends across the organisation.

“It’s lots and lots of people coming together and if you want to point fingers, point it somewhere else,” Hamilton said.

Ferrari’s engine deficit remains a concern

Hamilton also identified a concrete competitive weakness behind Ferrari’s difficulties: insufficient straight-line power. He said the team understands the deficit and is working to address it, rather than treating every disappointing result as a leadership failure.

“We know that every weekend we carry a four-tenths deficit, if not sometimes six-tenths, just in straight-line power,” Hamilton told media.

That estimate was Hamilton’s assessment of the performance Ferrari is losing through its power unit. He said work is continuing towards an improvement for next season, while acknowledging the effort being made by staff at both the factory and the circuit.

Hamilton argued that Ferrari attracts a level of criticism that makes comparable mistakes appear substantially worse than those made elsewhere. Its status and visibility increase the pressure on employees, even when they are working hard to resolve the underlying problems.

Hamilton urges Ferrari staff to shut out the criticism

The Briton said he personally avoids reading the coverage, but recognises its effect on others inside Ferrari. His concern extends to employees whose families encounter negative reports and pass them on, bringing the pressure beyond the workplace.

“My message is not to read what is written,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton maintained that Ferrari can reach its objectives, while accepting that the process requires more time. His position combines support for Vasseur with an expectation that the organisation should examine how it operates around him.

Ferrari will return to the track on Friday, 2 October, when practice begins for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Sepang hosts the championship for the first time since 2017, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover the weekend.

F1 today: FAQ

Who was fastest in Bahrain GP practice at Sepang?

Max Verstappen topped FP1 with a 1:37.520, beating George Russell by 0.383 seconds. Isack Hadjar finished third, ahead of Charles Leclerc and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

What time does F1 FP2 start in Malaysia?

FP2 starts on Friday, 2 October, at 16:00 in Malaysia. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney and Melbourne.

Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix being held in Malaysia?

The original race at Sakhir was cancelled because of the conflict in the Middle East. Sepang is hosting the replacement event while retaining the Bahrain Grand Prix name, bringing Formula 1 back to the Malaysian circuit for the first time since 2017.

Does Lewis Hamilton support Frédéric Vasseur?

Yes. Hamilton described Vasseur as a fantastic leader and said he is the right person to take Ferrari forward.