Frédéric Vasseur welcomed the behavior of Lewis Hamilton even if the British results since the start of the season are not up to expectations.
“He is aware that he did not do everything (…) but his state of mind is exemplary”: The boss of the Ferrari stable Frédéric Vasseur has rented from AFP the behavior of Lewis Hamilton since his arrival in the ranks of the Scuderia despite a disappointing start to the season.
Before Miami’s GP on Sunday and after five rounds out of 24, the 40 -year -old pilot, septuple world champion, points to seventh place in the championship with 31 points, far from the Australian leader Oscar Piastri (McLaren) which is already totaling 99.
How do you judge Ferrari’s start to the season?
This is not exactly what we hoped because we had problems. We had very good moments, like the start of China weekend and Jeddah’s race where I think in terms of rhythm, we were really in the spot and it went very well at the operational level, in terms of tire changes and strategy. We also had bad times that cost us very dear as downgrading to China.
Are you worried?
No. We only made 20% of the season. We just have to keep a positive approach as we knew how to do last year. I think our strength was never to be disunited even in the more complicated moments, to try to scratch hundredth of a second per hundredth of a second, and that it paid at the end. I think we have more adjustment problems than anything else, so it’s up to us to settle them.
We are in the match
Frédéric Vasseur
-
Is the McLaren stable unbeatable this season?
The McLaren are a bit in front of us. But with Red Bull and Mercedes, we are in the match. We have to unlock this problem of settings and balance. McLaren left very, very strong, but we are only at the start of the season. I believe that last year we were 50-60 Red Bull points at the same time and we finished at 100 points ahead. It’s like football, it’s always better to lead to the 15th minute, but the important thing is to win at the end.
How was Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation?
He did not leave zero because with his experience in other teams, there are many things that can be transposed elsewhere. But it is true that all small differences can quickly represent a few hundredths of a second and several places on the grid. A small error can be expensive and Lewis is aware of all this. What is good is that we don’t have to push him. This is the first to come and find out, to want to develop the car, to want to progress. He is aware that he did not do everything well and that we did not do everything well. But his state of mind is exemplary, the two parties associate well and it is dynamic.
What assessment have you been doing so far for Lewis Hamilton?
In China, he had been incredible in qualifying and during the sprint: he won 10 seconds in advance. But we also know that sometimes it is quite difficult to explain, for two or three hundredths of a lost second, you go far and it changes your weekend. Everyone just has to stay calm. We go step by step but we progress. We try to identify our weaknesses. He has a very good understanding of what he does, but we do not necessarily have the same tools as the other teams and there is the fact that he discovers people and the environment of the team. He still has to acclimatize. But we are going in the right direction. And with Charles (Leclerc), they help and get out of course, there is good complementarity.
How do you judge Charles Leclerc’s performance?
In the race, he often manages to maximize the potential of the car. He had a great race in Jeddah. What is sometimes lacking is to manage everything in qualifying. But with him too, we are going in the right direction.
