Vasseur understands Lewis Hamilton’s frustration after the Hungarian Grand Prix
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur expressed his complete understanding of Lewis Hamilton’s frustration during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. The seven-time world champion performed below his expectations. After qualifying in 12th position on Saturday, Hamilton expressed his disappointment, even suggesting that Ferrari “needed to change drivers,” while his teammate, Charles Leclerc, achieved pole position. After finishing Sunday’s race also in 12th position, Hamilton reiterated his feelings from the previous day. When asked if he had a plan to motivate Hamilton during the summer break and improve his performance, Vasseur replied that such a conversation was not necessary.
Vasseur explained that the drivers’ reactions, driven by the pressure of competition, are understandable and that the team shares the same frustration. Vasseur insists that the difference between Leclerc and Hamilton was not as big as it seemed in qualifying, as Hamilton was only 0.015 seconds away from advancing to the next round. Ferrari’s boss believes Hamilton’s frustration is due to his high expectations of competing at the top. Vasseur added: “He is demanding. But I think that’s also why he’s a seven-time world champion, he’s demanding of the team, of the car, of the engineers, of the mechanics, of me too. But, above all, he is very demanding of himself.” Vasseur concluded that Hamilton’s performance in qualifying did not reflect the true performance difference and that the driver’s frustration is understandable.I don’t need to motivate him. Honestly, he’s frustrated, but not demotivated. I understand the situation perfectly.
Fred Vasseur
