Ferrari Defends Hamilton’s Media Demeanor as Team Weighs Support Changes

Overview

• Fred Vasseur argued that Hamilton’s downbeat interviews do not reflect his conduct inside Ferrari, where he focuses on debriefs and solutions after tough sessions.
• The team boss said he expects drivers to be “mega upset” after setbacks and prefers honest emotion to bland TV platitudes, emphasizing Hamilton’s collaboration with engineers.
• Hamilton’s first Ferrari season was his worst statistically, yielding no grand prix podiums, sixth in the standings, and an 86-point deficit to Charles Leclerc.
• He also became the first full-time Ferrari driver to record three straight Q1 eliminations, from Las Vegas through Qatar to Abu Dhabi.
• Vasseur acknowledged the switch from Mercedes was harder than anticipated and said Ferrari is evaluating how to better support Hamilton for 2026, with Italian reports suggesting a potential race engineer change under consideration.