The British driver of Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton (L), participates in the Hungarian Grand Prix of Formula 1 at the Hungarring circuit in Mogyorod near Budapest, in Hungary, August 3, 2025. (Photo by Attila Kisbenedek / AFP)
Lewis Hamilton received the support of his owner from the Ferrari team, Fred Vasseur on Sunday, just hours after the Briton cut a discouraged figure after a dull journey in 12th place in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While teammate Charles Leclerc proved to be unable to convert Ferrari’s first position from the season to victory due to unexplained mechanical problems during the race, the champion seven times Hamilton was fighting to escape from the midfield and finished where he started.
Read: F1: Charles Leclerc greets the vision of Ferrari Boss
As on Saturday, when it was dropped from the T2 and seemed miserable, saying that it was “completely useless” and saying that the team should “bring another driver”, Hamilton seemed completely deflated.
For most observers, it seemed that the pressures of life in the media threshing of its spectacular mark move from Mercedes, where it won six titles, and adapting to culture, cars and expectations to Ferrari overwhelmed it.
At 40, talking about imminent retirement revolved around him.
But Vasseur was quick to defend Hamilton, who has always been subject to cardiac impulsive reactions on the sleeves.
“I don’t need to motivate it,” said Vasseur. “Honestly, he is frustrated, but not demotivated.
Read: F1: Lewis Hamilton says that Ferrari “ short time ” to save the season
“He demands, but I think that is also why he is (a) seven times world champion. I can perfectly understand this situation.
“Sometimes you comment on what the driver says (in) the car, but if you put the microphone on other athletes, in football and so on, I’m not sure it would be much better.
“Sometimes, just after the race or just after the qualifications, you are very disappointed and the first reaction is hard. I can understand frustration, but we are all frustrated.”
‘He will be back’
Vasseur added that Hamilton’s weekend seemed worse than it was really because of the tight and competitive moments that led him to fail to reach the third quarter on Saturday.
“Undoubtedly, when you are seven times world champion, your teammate is in pole position and you are in the second quarter, this is a difficult situation,” he said.
Read: F1: 4th place in Lewis Hamilton highlights Ferrari’s difficult season
“But overall, we can also have a deep look that he was in front of Charles in the first quarter and with the first set he was a tenth in the second quarter. We were not far from having both cars in the second quarter.
“I can understand the frustration of Lewis. It’s normal and it will come back. He was stuck on a DRS train, but when he was alone, the pace was good.
“I am sure he will be back and that he will perform.”
Leclerc, fourth, supported his teammate.
“At the end, we are a team and as much as I want to finish in front of Lewis, I want us to succeed and for Ferrari, and, obviously, this weekend was difficult for Lewis,” said Leclerc.
“But I have no doubt that it is only one-off and I am sure that the second part of the season will be much more positive.”
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Hamilton, sixth in the drivers’ classification, but without a podium for Ferrari this year, said that he was impatiently awaiting a “work break” well necessary during the F1 holidays before the Dutch Grand Prix on the last weekend of this month.
