Ferrari Boss Addresses Lewis Hamilton's Frustration: ‘He's Frustrated, Not Demotivated’

Ferrari's Frédéric Vasseur Supports Lewis Hamilton After Hungarian GP Struggles

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur expressed his support for Lewis Hamilton after a challenging Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where the seven-time world champion appeared visibly deflated following his uncharacteristic 12th-place finish in both qualifying and the race. Hamilton himself had shared his disappointment, going as far as to call his performance "useless" while also hinting that Ferrari may need to "change driver."

Despite these candid remarks, Vasseur was quick to clarify that Hamilton's frustration does not equate to demotivation. "I don't need to motivate him," Vasseur stated plainly. "Honestly, he's frustrated, but not demotivated. You know, it's a completely different story."

The Mental Toll of Competition

Vasseur offered an empathetic perspective on Hamilton's emotional state, asserting that raw reactions are intrinsic to high-level sports. "Sometimes you're making comments in the heat of the moment," he said. "If you put a microphone on athletes in other sports, like football, I'm not sure it would be much better. They're in the performance zone, and emotions run high.

"We're all frustrated at times. And yes, if you were to ask me post-race, I might say something I shouldn't and end up in front of the stewards for it! But these reactions are part of being driven to succeed. Right after a race or qualifying, disappointment can feel overwhelming, and that's what you saw with Lewis—but we all know we're pushing in the same direction."

Not as Big a Gap as It Seems

Vasseur also pushed back against the idea that Hamilton’s qualifying struggles were indicative of a massive performance disparity within the team. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, managed to claim pole position, while Hamilton narrowly missed advancing to Q3 by just 0.015 seconds.

"The gap wasn't as big as it appeared. He was one-tenth off in Q2, and honestly, we were close to having two cars out in Q2," Vasseur said. "The outcome was that Charles was able to take pole, but the margin wasn’t 1.2 seconds. That type of result is tough to digest when you're a seven-time world champion, and your teammate is on pole. But frustration is normal—it shows how much Lewis expects from himself and the team."

Hamilton’s Drive for Perfection

Vasseur emphasized that Hamilton's high expectations are not a negative but rather a major factor behind his historic success. "He's demanding, and that's why he's a seven-time world champion," Vasseur noted. "He's tough on the team, on the car, on the engineers, on me—but most of all, he's demanding with himself. It’s his internal drive for perfection that has propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport."

Reflecting on Hamilton’s mindset, Vasseur said, "For him, being this close to advancing to Q3 and not making it is brutal, especially given what was on the table. But it’s also a reflection of where we are as a team. Lewis knows we’re not far off, and that’s why his frustrations show. He expects us to be fighting for the front consistently."

Closing Thoughts

While Hamilton's Hungarian Grand Prix weekend was far from ideal, Vasseur remains optimistic about his driver's resilience. By channeling the frustration into focused determination, Ferrari looks to return to form after the summer break, with Hamilton and Leclerc striving to push the team back to the top of the grid.

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