Breaking:Ferrari Boss Responds to Lewis Hamilton’s Bahrain Frustration with Surprising…read more 

Breaking:Ferrari Boss Responds to Lewis Hamilton’s Bahrain Frustration with Surprising…read more

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Fred Vasseur has offered a supportive and somewhat unexpected response to Lewis Hamilton’s visible frustration following a turbulent weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season after 12 years at Mercedes, has faced a challenging adjustment period. Despite securing his best result so far with a fifth-place finish in Sakhir, the seven-time world champion was openly disappointed with his performance, particularly after a sub-par qualifying session.

Rather than being concerned, Vasseur welcomed Hamilton’s emotional reaction, seeing it as a positive sign of the Briton’s high standards and determination.

“It’s good to have Lewis with this mindset: ‘I have to improve myself and adapt to the car,’” Vasseur told Sky Sports F1. “We’re also adapting the car to Lewis, but it’s a two-way process. That mindset is being handled in a very constructive way between us.”

Hamilton, 40, appeared dejected at several points throughout the weekend, but Vasseur insists the reaction was encouraging. “The fact he was a bit down on Saturday evening—I like it,” he said. “It shows he cares deeply and wants more.”

Vasseur stressed that Hamilton’s integration into the team will take time, acknowledging the difficulty of replacing more than a decade of familiarity with Mercedes overnight.

“You won’t replace 12 years of collaboration in two weeks or two races,” he said. “We all need to improve. In today’s F1, one small mistake can cost six or seven positions—something that wasn’t the case a few years ago. We need to remain calm when judging performance.”

Despite Hamilton’s frustrations, Vasseur said he was impressed by his turnaround on race day, calling his Sunday performance “very strong.”

Hamilton has made no secret of his goal to return to championship contention, following a difficult end to his time at Mercedes. However, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri currently showing dominant pace, that ambition may need to wait.

Attention now shifts to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, where Hamilton previously claimed victory in 2021. However, the weekend got off to a difficult start, with Hamilton finishing eighth in FP1 and dropping further in FP2. He eventually secured a seventh-place start on the grid after qualifying.

While the results may not yet match the expectations, both Hamilton and Ferrari appear committed to building toward long-term success.