Defiant Vasseur slams ‘bullshit’ claims on Hamilton’s struggles

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was in no mood for sensationalist headlines at the end of last Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, unleashing a spirited defense of Lewis Hamilton’s underwhelming form and brushing off suggestions of a “dramatic” slump as “fu**ing bullshit.”

With Hamilton languishing in seventh place at the end of the day, a whopping 31 seconds behind teammate Charles Leclerc’s podium finish, Vasseur’s exasperation boiled over when pressed on the Briton’s struggles.

In a lively rebuke, he championed a measured, step-by-step approach, insisting Ferrari and Hamilton are united in tackling their challenges.

Vasseur’s Testy Rebuttal

Vasseur painted a picture of a team undeterred by a tough weekend and determined to unlock sooner or later Hamilton’s undeniable potential.

Pressed on why the seven-time world champion’s performance had fallen “dramatically”, the Scuderia boss didn’t hold back.

“It’s not dramatically,” he replied. “We did five races so far. I know that you want to have the big headlines tomorrow that 'Fred said this’.

"But this is f****** b******t. At the end of the day, we are in competition. You have ups and downs.

"When we have up, we are not world champions. When we have down, we are not nowhere. It's just a competition."

©Ferrari

Visibly exasperated, Vasseur pointed to the example of reigning champion Max Verstappen to illustrate the wild swings of modern F1.

“I’m not sure that you draw the same conclusion with Max last week when he was seventh. It is like it is. The competition is tight. You have 10 cars and a couple of tenths,” he argued.

“Have a look at Max. He won in Japan. He finished 30 seconds behind Piastri in Bahrain, and in Saudi Arabia he was P2 and had pole position. We just have to stay calm.”

Hamilton Struggles, But Vasseur Remains Resolute

Hamilton’s own assessment of his Jeddah race was grim, reflecting the challenges he faces adapting to Ferrari’s SF-25.

“It was horrible, not enjoyable at all. I was just sliding around. It’s pretty bad,” he said. “Nothing positive to take from today, apart from Charles on the podium, which is great for the team.

• Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2025 Saudi Arabian GP

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll struggle for but it’s definitely painful. Just going to try and improve from week to week.”

Despite the bleak outlook, Vasseur reaffirmed his full backing for the British superstar, saying Hamilton’s Chinese sprint win and Bahrain pace prove the potential is still there.

“I will be 2000 per cent behind him,” Vasseur vowed. “I will give him support and we will start from tomorrow morning to try to find solutions and reasons and to work on it early in the morning.

©Ferrari

“But honestly, I am not too worried. If you have a look on what he did in China or what he did in the race in Bahrain last week or even on the first part of the session in this weekend, the potential is there for sure.

“We just have to adjust the balance because we are, collectively, Lewis and us, we are struggling with the balance of his car and [how] he is working the tyres.

“It’s a kind of negative spot but I think the potential of the car is there and we will try to solve that.”

With a team-first mentality and a refusal to overreact, Vasseur’s leadership sets the stage for a spirited fightback as the season rolls on.

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