Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says convincing seven-time world champion to affix was ‘not troublesome’

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur says it was “not difficult at all” to persuade Lewis Hamilton to affix the group from 2025 and he has no considerations in regards to the seven-time champion’s troubled qualifying type throughout his last season at Mercedes.

Vasseur additionally stated the prospect of a aggressive team-mate duel between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would in the end be good for the group as they chase a return to world title glory.

The Frenchman was talking at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello through the conventional Christmas lunch with the media, simply weeks earlier than Hamilton formally joins the group in a switch first revealed in February.

Whereas the timing of the blockbuster swap in the end got here out of the blue, Vasseur – Hamilton’s former group boss within the junior classes within the mid-2000s – admitted it had in the end been easy to get the 39-year-old to signal.

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

“And I believe he had the challenge to drive for Ferrari in his thoughts for at the very least 22 years, or 23 years, as a result of we had been discussing about this in 2004.

“It meant that it was not too troublesome.

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

“However the contact was a straightforward one. We began to debate one 12 months in the past, and it was not troublesome to persuade him, in any respect.”

Vasseur ‘never, never, never worried’ by Hamilton 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 blighted by uncharacteristically poor form in qualifying.

Hamilton even suggested at the season’s penultimate round in Qatar that he was “undoubtedly not quick any extra” after qualifying seventh for the Dash whereas team-mate George Russell made the entrance row.

However requested what he fabricated from such feedback, Vasseur pointed to Hamilton’s cost from sixteenth on the grid to fourth on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as proof of his new driver’s undimmed tempo.

“Ask the question to Russell on Sunday,” stated Vasseur in reference to Hamilton overtaking his team-mate on the ultimate lap of the season.

“I believe he had a troublesome second in qualy, but additionally I do not suppose that the qualy of Abu Dhabi, for instance, was linked to the efficiency of Lewis.

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

“He was not very effectively in his thoughts, however he was clear in Brazil about this, for instance. However he additionally did very effectively within the final couple of occasions, so I am not frightened in any respect.”

‘Leclerc and Hamilton have big mutual respect’

Since taking cost of Ferrari at first of 2023, Vasseur has been clear in implementing an strategy below which neither Leclerc nor his team-mate Carlos Sainz had been prioritised .

The Frenchman insists he’ll search to keep up the identical steadiness along with his new driver pairing, insisting the aggressive battle between Leclerc and Sainz has been a significant component within the group’s general progress.

In an unique interview with Sky Sports activities Information, Vasseur stated: “I prefer to fight for one-two than for 19-20, this is clear!

“I believe it is also a part of efficiency. Clearly, the final two years I allow them to race on monitor and it was for the good thing about the group as a result of the emulation we created like this was a part of the restoration after we had robust instances.

“They [Leclerc and Sainz] had huge respect between them.”

Hamilton and Leclerc have shared a respectful relationship for the reason that Monegasque joined the grid in 2018, and Vasseur is assured that may proceed at Ferrari.

He added: “Charles-Lewis, I’m not particularly worried about this. They have a huge mutual respect, they know each other, they are speaking about this for months now.”

When will Hamilton first drive a Ferrari?

Whereas Hamilton won’t get to drive Ferrari’s 2025 challenger till pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 26-28, there may be loads of curiosity round when the Brit will take to the monitor in an older mannequin of the automobile.

Vasseur stated the unpredictable winter climate at Ferrari’s non-public Fiorano circuit means he can not present a precise date, however that what he expects to be an “emotional” first outing in pink for Hamilton will happen sooner or later in January.

“Probably yes but we are dependent on the weather, it’s not easy in January,” Vasseur stated.

“It’s true that it’s quite emotional because I think he has this moment in his mind for probably 20 years. That means it will be emotional – but it has to be emotional for one lap and then to be focused!”

Vasseur stated Ferrari should not planning to rearrange any particular media occasions to current Hamilton as a Ferrari driver, with the group boss deeming F1’s official season launch on February 18, and Ferrari’s personal launch a day later as adequate.

“We will have the first test days 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 will go directly to Bahrain and it will be a tough sequence until Melbourne.

“But it surely’s true that it is a quick preparation as a result of we’ve one thing like 4 weeks on the manufacturing facility earlier than the primary occasion, however it’s like it’s.”

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