Vasseur: Ferrari “stupidly” made assumptions over Hamilton – Ferrari has admitted it misjudged just how difficult Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes would be. The Scuderia, buoyed by the hype of signing a seven-time world champion, now concedes that both team and driver underestimated the scale of change after nearly two decades of Hamilton operating within the Mercedes ecosystem.
Hamilton’s 2025 season has been a study in frustration. Despite flashes of brilliance in sprints, including victory in China and a podium in Miami, he remains without a grand prix podium in Ferrari colours. Lewis is hurtling towards an unwanted all time Ferrari record of nineteen races since joining the team without landing a top three finish.
His best qualifying effort so far has been fourth, though even that came with caveats, such as the Monaco penalty for impeding Max Verstappen that dropped him to seventh. The nadir came in Hungary, when he was eliminated in Q2 while Charles Leclerc went on to claim pole, prompting Hamilton to label himself “useless” and even suggest Ferrari should consider replacing him.
Hamilton 18 years in Mercedes geosphere
Team principal Fred Vasseur insists that the team has no intention of replacing Hamilton, instead focusing on adapting the car and environment to suit his needs. In a conversation with The Race, Vasseur explained that both he and Hamilton underestimated what was required to switch after so long at Mercedes.
“Lewis and I, we collectively, probably underestimated the change of environment, and the fact that he spent, for me, 20 years in the same team,” Vasseur admitted. “McLaren was Mercedes, then he moved to Mercedes: same engine guys, same culture and so on. So he spent 2006 to 2024, 18 years, in this environment, and then he arrived at Ferrari. And we were stupidly expecting that he will have everything under control.”
Ferrari now believes it overlooked how unusual Hamilton’s career trajectory has been compared to others on the grid. Vasseur pointed to Carlos Sainz, who before joining Ferrari had already worked with Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren and Williams. By contrast, Hamilton has known only one engine partner and one culture for most of his racing life.
The culture gap is huge
“He’s not the guy who changed team every two years,” the Ferrari boss noted. “It took Lewis four or five races to be a bit more in control. From Canada to Austria, he was there. In Spa it was a tough weekend, and Hungary was about details, but culturally the gap between Ferrari and Mercedes is bigger than people realise.”
Ferrari’s Formula 1 culture is unlike any other F1 team on the grid. Based in Maranello, the Scuderia is more than a racing outfit, it is a national institution. Success is celebrated as a triumph for Italy itself, while failure is treated as a collective wound. This unique pressure cooker environment shapes every aspect of Ferrari’s operations.
The culture is steeped in tradition, with Enzo Ferrari’s legacy still casting a long shadow. Drivers and team principals alike are constantly reminded that they are not merely employees, but custodians of a legend that dates back to 1950, the only team to compete in every Formula 1 season. With such history comes immense expectation. Victories are demanded, not requested, and even small setbacks are magnified by a passionate fanbase, the tifosi, and a relentless Italian media.
Verstappen’s Ex points the finger
Braking difficulties for Lewis
Internally, Ferrari has often struggled with balancing its romantic identity with the cold efficiency modern Formula 1 requires. Politics, both within the factory and in broader Italian sporting culture, frequently intrude on pure racing decisions. Yet the red car carries a mystique no rival can match. Joining Ferrari is seen as the pinnacle, but thriving there requires not only speed, but resilience against the weight of history.
The Ferrari boss went on to stress there is no single big problem, but rather a collection of small issues that together create the impression of a larger crisis. Brake feel, energy deployment, tyre handling—all fractions of a tenth, but enough to swing results dramatically. “If you struggle with brakes being slightly different, you’re talking about half a tenth. That’s the difference between getting into Q3 or not,” Fred explained. “From the outside, it looks like a mega issue, but it’s a detail that can snowball into a dramatic change in classification.”
Hamilton has found comfort in some familiar faces within Ferrari, including technical chief Loïc Serra, deputy team principal Jérôme D’Ambrosio and performance engineer Luca Diella, all of whom offer continuity from his Mercedes past. These reference points, Vasseur hopes, will help ease the adjustment.
“Useless” comment – no drama
The “useless” remark from Hungary set off headlines around the world, but Vasseur dismissed it as part of Hamilton’s demanding nature. “He’s like this, and sometimes he was also like this at Mercedes,” said the Ferrari boss. “He is very demanding with me, with the engineers, with the mechanics, but mainly with himself. For me, it’s not a drama.” Vasseur even compared Hamilton’s approach to Nico Hülkenberg’s relentless self-discipline during his junior days, where extreme demands of the team were balanced by hard work on himself.
Here the Judge must note the irony. Ferrari signed Hamilton amid fireworks and bold proclamations of destiny, only to discover that Formula 1’s most successful driver is, in fact, human. The Scuderia now admits to a form of corporate “stupidity,” expecting a seamless transition where cultural differences, engineering philosophies and decades of muscle memory would somehow vanish in the Monza mist.
Hamilton’s barbed comments about being “useless” may sting, but they are also proof of his restless pursuit of perfection. The danger for Ferrari is not that he speaks harshly, but that the team fails to listen and give him the platform to channel that intensity. The jury is out on whether Hamilton’s move to Maranello is a slow burn story awaiting a breakthrough, or just the latest case of Ferrari underestimating the very demands of its own history?
Mercedes “5 year advantage on everyone”
With the Formula One Sumer shutdown in full swing, the teams are eyeing the return of their engineers and most will be now focused on developing the all new cars for 2026. Aston Martin brought upgrades last time out, which appeared to unlock he potential in the AMR25 as Alonso and Stroll scored good points finishing the Grand Prix in with and seventh respectively.
Williams were the first to dedicate their entire resources at 2026 back in April when the team principal confirmed all his engineers were committed to the project and should he find them working on this season’s challenger, “I would have removed the car from the wind tunnel myself” if needed—their entire focus is firmly on next year’s new rulebook-driven opportunity.”
Kick Sauber too have enjoyed recent success with a suite of upgrades to their c45 beginning in Spain, then phase two came in Austria before their final efforts for the year at the British Grand Prix. With Williams done with their car improvements, this has seen Aston Martin and Sauber close the 31 point gap to Williams, as it stood at the start of the European season, to just eighteen….. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
