Hamilton And Leclerc Back Vasseur Fully: "Ferrari Is Not Falling Apart"

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have pushed back strongly against speculation about team principal Fred Vasseur's future. Speaking to the media ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, both drivers stressed that Vasseur is staying and that the team stands behind him.

The speculation was fuelled by Ferrari's failure to reach the podium in the last five rounds, along with comments from former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who called Ferrari his dream destination. In response, Ferrari gathered selected media and declared full confidence in Vasseur, adding that the team needs to remain united.

Hamilton said he welcomed the statement. He explained that the team was already united and that outside negativity was trying to damage morale without succeeding. He described Vasseur as the right person to lead Ferrari, but said the situation cannot be pinned on one person and that anyone wanting to point fingers should also look at those higher up the chain. In his view, the team is in a better place than before.

Hamilton also argued that mistakes made by rivals receive far less criticism than the same errors at Ferrari. He reminded everyone that Ferrari is second in the constructors' standings despite an average power deficit of around four tenths each weekend, and sometimes six. His maiden Ferrari win in Barcelona had raised title hopes, but performances dipped after the summer break, with the Monza clash with Leclerc and brake problems in Madrid hurting results.

Hamilton is 20 points ahead of his team mate this season and credited part of that turnaround to Vasseur's cooperation. He said many of the changes he asked for have been made, with more still to come.

Leclerc, who has worked with Vasseur since he replaced Mattia Binotto in 2023, said he feels the same way as Hamilton. He noted that rumours seem to appear around the team every three or four years, calling it disrespectful, and described Vasseur as both highly capable and fully supported by the squad.