Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says it was ‘not difficult’ to convince seven-time world champion to join | F1 news

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur says it was “not difficult at all” to convince Lewis Hamilton to join the team from 2025 and is not concerned by the seven-time champion’s difficult qualifying form during his last season at Mercedes.

Vasseur also said the prospect of a competitive team-mate duel between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would ultimately be good for the team as it chases a return to world title glory.

The Frenchman was speaking at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello during the traditional Christmas lunch with the media, just weeks before Hamilton formally joins the team in a transfer first revealed in February.

Although the timing of the box-office switch finally came out of the blue, Vasseur, Hamilton’s former team boss in the junior categories in the mid-2000s, admitted it had ultimately been simple to get the 39-year-old signed years

“In 2023 we won more races than Mercedes, and the start of the season was also good, so it wasn’t too difficult to convince him that Ferrari would be a good project,” said Vasseur.

“And I think he had the project of driving for Ferrari in his mind for at least 22 years, or 23 years, because we were discussing it in 2004.

“He said it wasn’t too hard.

“I think sometimes it’s also a matter of coincidence, or of all the planets aligning, that he’s on the market and that Ferrari has a seat available, etc.

“But the contact was easy. We started discussing a year ago, and it wasn’t difficult to convince him, at all.”

Vasseur ‘never, never, never worried’ about Hamilton’s form

While the Briton will arrive at Italy’s effective national team as the most successful driver in F1 history, Hamilton, who turns 40 on January 7, saw his final year at Mercedes marred by uncharacteristically poor in the classification.

Hamilton even suggested at the penultimate round of the season in Qatar that he was “definitely not fast anymore” after qualifying seventh for the sprint, while team-mate George Russell moved into first row

But asked what he made of those comments, Vasseur pointed to Hamilton’s run from 16th on the grid to fourth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as proof of his new driver’s unbroken pace.

“Ask Russell the question on Sunday,” Vasseur said in reference to Hamilton overtaking his teammate on the final lap of the season.

“I think he had a difficult time in qualifying, but I also don’t think the quality of Abu Dhabi, for example, was linked to Lewis’ performance.

“He had very good races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi. And I was never – really, never, never, never – worried about this situation. This situation, and I’m not criticizing Lewis or Mercedes, but this situation is not easy. to manage And I can understand that if it doesn’t go very well, you can suffer in this relationship.

“It wasn’t very good in his mind, but that was clear to him in Brazil, for example. But he also did very well in the last couple of events, so I’m not worried at all.”

“Leclerc and Hamilton have a great mutual respect”

Since taking over at Ferrari at the start of 2023, Vasseur has been clear about implementing an approach that did not prioritize either Leclerc or team-mate Carlos Sainz.

The Frenchman insists he will try to maintain the same balance with his new driver pairing, insisting the competitive battle between Leclerc and Sainz has been a major factor in the team’s overall progress.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports NewsVasseur said: “I’d rather fight for one-two than 19-20, that’s for sure!

“I think it’s part of the performance as well. Obviously the last two years I let them run on the track and it was to the benefit of the team because the emulation we created like that was part of the recovery when we had moments difficult

“They (Leclerc and Sainz) had great respect for each other.”

Hamilton and Leclerc have shared a respectful relationship since the Monegasque joined the grid in 2018, and Vasseur is confident he can continue at Ferrari.

He added: “Charles-Lewis, I’m not particularly worried about that. They have a lot of mutual respect, they know each other, they’ve been talking about it for months.”

When will Hamilton drive a Ferrari for the first time?

Although Hamilton will not be able to drive Ferrari’s 2025 rival until pre-season testing in Bahrain on February 26-28, there is plenty of interest when the Briton takes to the track in an older model of the car.

Vasseur said the unpredictable winter weather at Ferrari’s private Fiorano circuit means he cannot provide an exact date, but that what he hopes will be an “emotional” first outing in red for Hamilton will take place sometime in January.

“Probably yes, but we depend on the weather, it’s not easy in January,” Vasseur said.

“It’s admittedly quite emotional because I think he’s had this moment in his head for probably 20 years. That means it’s going to be emotional, but he’s got to be emotional for one lap and then be focused!”

Vasseur said Ferrari does not plan to hold any special media event to introduce Hamilton as a Ferrari driver, as the team boss considers the official F1 season launch on February 18 and Ferrari’s own launch sufficient. a day later

“We will have the first few days of testing with TPC (Testing Of Previous Cars) and Pirelli and then the launch of the championship first (at The O2) on the 18th. (of February), then the launch of the car on the 19th and then we’ll go straight to Bahrain and it will be a tough sequence to Melbourne.

“But it’s true that it’s a short preparation because we have a little bit four weeks in the factory before the first event, but that’s how it is.”

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