Vasseur Candidly Addresses Hamilton's Difficult Ferrari Start

Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has openly discussed Lewis Hamilton's challenging inaugural season with the Scuderia, attributing his struggles to the significant adaptation required after decades at Mercedes and McLaren.

Why it matters

Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated move to Ferrari has, so far, fallen short of expectations. The seven-time world champion is not only trailing teammate Charles Leclerc but is also grappling with finding comfort and pace in the SF-25. This has led to a lack of podium finishes, intensifying pressure as his first home race in red at Monza approaches.

The big picture

Vasseur, speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, acknowledged the potential underestimation of the transition's difficulty. "He spent 10 years at McLaren or with McLaren and then 10 or 12 with Mercedes. It was also a kind of continuity, two teams based in the UK with the same engine, with the same environment," Vasseur explained. "It's a complete change for him in his life, to the culture of the team and everything."

He stressed that while expectations were immense, the adaptation process is inherently time-consuming. Vasseur highlighted that performance differences in Formula 1 are often marginal, "one plus or minus one tenth of seconds" can make a "huge difference in terms of pure results."

By the numbers

• Standings: After fifteen races, Hamilton sits sixth in the Drivers' Championship with 109 points.
• Teammate Comparison: Charles Leclerc is ahead with 152 points.
• Best Result: A fourth-place finish at Silverstone (excluding a sprint race victory in China).

What's next

Following a costly DNF at the recent Zandvoort Grand Prix, Hamilton heads into the Monza Grand Prix this weekend with hopes of a strong rebound and, at minimum, a fight for a podium finish. The 'Temple of Speed' offers a crucial opportunity for Hamilton to demonstrate progress with his new team.