Frederic Vasseur emphasized the importance of having a champion of Lewis Hamilton’s caliber on the team to improve the entire environment.
Ferrari has never been as much in the spotlight of the paddock in this first half of 2024, not only for the results achieved on the track – which have been positive and encouraging compared to the more recent past – but also for its activism off the circuits.
The Maranello team turned the Circus world upside down on February 1st when it announced the sensational signing of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.
A remarkable move aimed at overturning the grid balance and returning the Prancing Horse to the top of Formula 1, where only Mercedes and Red Bull have alternated in the last 15 years.
A certainly crucial role in securing Hamilton’s signature – who will bid farewell to Mercedes this year – was played by team principal Frederic Vasseur.
The French manager had already worked with #44 before Hamilton’s arrival in F1 when the Englishman was just a promising talent and Vasseur was a manager trying to make his way in the motorsport world. In 2006, the pair won the GP2 title together with ART Grand Prix.
Twenty years later, they will reunite in red to try to bring the world title back to Italy.
Vasseur discussed Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe, emphasizing how much of an impact the seven-time champion can have on the Maranello environment, both on and off the track.
“There are moments when your track record provides certainties, references. Even for Charles (Leclerc), it will be extremely useful to have Lewis by his side, who is a monster in terms of organization and race approach.
“He will push us to the maximum in terms of standards and preparation,” Vasseur explained to French journalists. “I had stopped discussing technical matters with him for confidentiality reasons, but in 20 years, we have never lost touch. I feel he has a great desire to win.”
So, Hamilton will also play the role of mentor for Charles Leclerc, who will inevitably lose centrality in the team in this way. “Lewis is a great motivator,” concluded the Maranello team principal, “and pushes everyone to the limit.
“It’s not just about being able to do 1’18″8 instead of 1’18″9 in lap time. It’s also about knowing that there are 1,500 people cheering for you because he is there, because he pushes, because he will ask the annoying question, because he won’t settle for the first answer.
“This is what makes a team work. And it’s even more true for us.”
