Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari to look ahead to 2026, while Vasseur believes only fine details separate him from real pace.
Lewis Hamilton believes it may be time for Ferrari to abandon the 2025 car and focus on next season. Team principal Fred Vasseur revealed after Barcelona that both “visible” and “invisible” developments are still being made to the current machine, even though McLaren is increasingly out of reach.
Charles Leclerc’s pace has improved considerably of late, while Hamilton is struggling a little more. “One word to define the car?” Vasseur told La Stampa. “Sensitive.”
“Because sometimes we manage to extract the maximum, but not always. Qualifying at Imola and Miami is emblematic: we were quicker on used tyres, something I had never seen in my life.”
Now 40, Hamilton seems resigned to battling all season with the current car, so it is understandable that he is urging Ferrari to point all its weapons at the radical 2026 regulations: “I don’t know what updates are coming. We haven’t had anything new for a while.
“We will keep working with what we have and, before it is too late, I would like to ask the team to focus on next season. This year we are laying the foundations, learning the tools, fine-tuning the structure and processes so that next year we can have the car we need.”
Vasseur openly admits it is now impossible to beat McLaren in 2025 “given McLaren’s advantage and continuity,” but he hopes to see further progress at the Scuderia, as was the case in 2024.
“We have to stay focused on ourselves, like 12 months ago when I was not thinking about the championship either. I would like the team to take the same approach today. The reaction has been good—Monaco and Spain showed that. Now we need confirmation.”
Regarding Hamilton’s particular difficulties with the car, Vasseur sees progress: “Only details are missing. We are talking hundredths that, in this finely balanced Formula 1, can mean the difference between the first and third rows, between a good and a less good weekend.
“But they remain details—understanding the car, the settings, the communication. It is normal when you change teams. The frustration? It is understandable.”
Meanwhile, Vasseur praised the strides Leclerc has made since Hamilton joined the team this year: “Compared with the past, he has taken a big step forward in terms of certainty about what he wants. He asks the engineers more directly for what he needs.
“We have two top-level drivers and do not need a leader. I think if Leclerc has taken a step forward, it is also because Lewis has pushed him to do so, while Charles helps his team-mate understand the team and the car. They work well together, even though I am not asking them to be best friends.”
Vasseur salutes the Monegasque’s commitment to the Scuderia: “Leclerc is in love with Ferrari—his career has had only one colour since the academy and his debut in GP3. He is tied to the company and the team; he is not seeking a better seat but is part of the project and the family. And I respect him greatly for that.”