Lewis Hamilton proves a “perfect fit” with Ferrari, says the director of the team of Fred Vassur while the SF-25 lands | F1 news
Frederic Vassur says Lewis Hamilton has proven to be a “perfect fit” with Ferrari, as the sevenfold world champion is preparing for his debut campaign with the Italian team.
After announced last February that he would join Ferrari after 12 years in Mercedes at one of the most beautiful drivers in Formula One history, Hamilton was only a few weeks away from his first race.
40-year-old Brit said he felt “empowered” on F1’s All-Taama in London on Tuesday, before driving their car 2025-SF-25-first time on a team test track on Wednesday, together by teammate Charles Leclerc.
Vassur was Hamilton’s head of the team in GP2 (now Formula 2) in 2006, and it seems very pleased with what he saw in the early stages of their reunion, on the eve of preseason testing in Bahrein next week – live live Sky Sports F1.
He said, “He is not the same, he is 20 years older than when we were first together and everyone changes, improves, developing.
“He is certainly much more mature, much more experienced and today is perfectly in line with the team.
“That’s exactly what I was looking for, for that, for me, for Charles, I think it’s a perfect combination.”
Hamilton’s age and some insidious performances – especially in qualifying – during his last season with the Mercedes, brought to the question of whether his powers were declining, but Vassur pointed to the finals of the 2024 season.
He added: “He pointed to Abu Dabi, starting from his back and returning to P4, overtook Russell in the last round, that the tempo was there and had no doubt before.”
‘We need to avoid being shy with Hamilton’
Hamilton arrives at the Ferrari team, which has slightly requested the first constructor championship since 2008, because they ended in 2024. Only 14 points behind McLaren.
In Italy, it is a great excitement that Hamilton’s arrival can help end that wait or the one for the title of driver who extends a year away.
Before Wednesday at the SF-25, Hamilton had been driving his cars from the previous few seasons in the test days in the last month in Ferrari.
Although Vassur admits that the situation, at least for now, will limit how much feedback Hamilton can provide, even a small offer could be crucial given the expected tension of the Battle of the Front 2025, because sports enter the fourth and last season of its current in his current cycle of regulations.
Vassur said: “All of them (drivers) are part of the car development, car evolution. For sure Lewis is the first phase of this collaboration, because it has done only two TPCs (testing of previous cars) and is now on the way, but for sure, returnable The information is always important.
“Feedback helps the team to develop and do better jobs. Even if it is some small details, what we have to keep in mind is that we ended up 14 points behind McLaren last year. This means that it’s less than one point per point race.
“That means we are always talking about details. It’s not a matter to change the car or anything else. If we are able to bring a little performance on one or two topics, this is already a big step forward.
“And Lewis comes with her experience, with her background, and will help the team develop in each area. She will surely make a quick comparison between two engines, between the two chassis, between the way you work on the track.
“And as a team, we need to avoid being shy and try to understand where we can improve. And this is my job and the job of a technician.”
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