Lewis Hamilton Tells Ferrari Critics to ‘Point Fingers Somewhere Else’ as He and Charles Leclerc Back Fred Vasseur

• Lewis Hamilton has rejected the “negative narrative” around Fred Vasseur’s position as Ferrari team principal, insisting outside voices are trying to “break our spirit”
• Both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc gave full backing to Vasseur at Sepang after speculation was fuelled by comments from Christian Horner
• Hamilton says Ferrari’s results have been unfairly judged given a power deficit he puts at four to six tenths a lap

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Hamilton Draws a Line Under the Rumours

Lewis Hamilton has given his support to Fred Vasseur amid speculation about the Ferrari team principal’s future, telling reporters in Malaysia that outside voices trying to unsettle the team “are not succeeding.”

Ferrari’s run without a podium finish across the last five rounds fed talk that Vasseur’s position was under threat, a storyline given fresh life by former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who called the Scuderia his “dream” destination in an interview with The Times. Ferrari responded by gathering media for a statement declaring its “full confidence” in Vasseur, adding that the team had “made its choices already” on leadership.

‘Point Fingers Somewhere Else’

Asked how he felt about Ferrari’s intervention and whether the rumours had affected the squad’s mood heading into the final rounds of the season, Hamilton said the statement reflected a unity that already existed inside the team.

“I think it’s good that they did it,” Hamilton said. “In terms of how it unifies the team, I think we already were unified. Honestly, I think outside sources seem to be so negative towards us as a team and trying to break our spirit, but they’re not succeeding.”

He pushed back directly on those driving the speculation. “People can continue with the negative narrative but inside, everyone is working really hard. Fred is the guy to lead us, he’s doing a fantastic job,” Hamilton said. “If you look at the history, how many people they’ve swapped out in that role and I feel like it’s in a better place than it’s been before, but ultimately, it’s not a one man situation. It’s lots and lots of people coming together and if you want to point fingers, point them somewhere else. There’s people above that are also part of it as well. It’s a lot of people. I feel like we should take things away from this message, Fred’s in his position, he’s not going anywhere and I’m here to stay with him and I still believe fully in where we’re going.”

A Season of Scrutiny

There had been hope that Hamilton’s maiden win for Ferrari in Barcelona earlier in the year would spark a title fight with Mercedes, but results have fallen away after the summer break. A clash with Leclerc at Monza and brake problems in Madrid have played a part, yet Hamilton argued the team’s underlying work deserves more credit than it receives.

“On a race weekend, other teams make mistakes, no one really says much about those but we make the same mistake and it’s ten times worse for Ferrari, for whatever reason, and that’s just how it is,” he said. “On one side, I respect that they want to hold Ferrari to the highest level but ultimately, we’re all human beings, we’re all trying our hardest and showing up every weekend in, weekend out.”

He pointed to the team’s position in the constructors’ standings as evidence of progress, even while trailing a power unit he puts at a measurable disadvantage. “We’re second in the Constructors’ Championship, huge improvement from last year already, and that’s with a deficit on power of an average four tenths every single weekend. Sometimes it’s six tenths, and we’ve still been delivering really decent performances, so that highlights just how great a job people at the factory have done,” Hamilton said. “I think all the negativity takes away from that. Of course we’re not where we want to be but if you go from last year, you don’t go from last year’s experience straight to number one. It’s a process and I think we’ve built a good foundation this year, we need to continue to build on it. We’re not perfect yet but I do believe we can get there.”

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Hamilton Credits Vasseur for His Own Turnaround

After a difficult first season at Ferrari, Hamilton has worked to close the distance to his teammate, a shift that now has him 20 points clear of Leclerc in the drivers’ standings. He credited Vasseur directly for part of that change.

“I’m happy with my treatment,” Hamilton said. “Fred has been fantastic working with me and I think our relationship as a whole, even with the bosses, is in a much better place than it ever was. Of course, people making comments have absolutely no clue what they’re talking about ultimately, because they’re not inside the team.”

He added that he would keep working through issues privately rather than air them publicly. “What’s happening inside the team, how it’s structured, what the weaknesses are, obviously I’m in the team and I know all those. I’m not going to speak on them but I will continue to try and work with those people that are in power to make the changes,” Hamilton said. “Making changes is not a quick thing, people weren’t always willing to do so early on but Fred has done a lot of the changes that I’ve asked for and there are more for us to do.”

Leclerc Dismisses the ‘Crazy Rumours’

Leclerc, who has driven under Vasseur from the moment the Frenchman replaced Mattia Binotto at the start of 2023, said he shared Hamilton’s view in full and rejected the speculation outright.

“I think it’s very clear the relationship I have with Fred but it goes a lot further than that. It’s not only about a relationship but it’s also about his capabilities and I think he’s exceptional at what he does and I fully trust in Fred,” Leclerc said. “Inside the team it’s always been extremely clear that Fred has always had the support but for whatever reason, every three or four years there are those crazy rumours around the team. I’ve been with the team for quite a few years so I’m unfortunately getting used to these kinds of events.”

He said the pattern of speculation surfacing whenever results dip is unfair to everyone involved. “It’s not easy and I don’t think it’s respectful either because we are all here trying to do our absolute best, sometimes we will do mistakes and sometimes we will do great things. But for people to take the opportunity whenever there’s something that we could have done slightly better to start those rumours is just not nice,” Leclerc said. “But one thing is sure, Fred has got all our support and we are very proud of having him with us inside the team and I hope that we can bring the team back on top as soon as possible in order to stop those silly rumours.”

Eight Rounds to Settle the Argument

Ferrari sit second in the constructors’ championship, a position Hamilton frames as a genuine improvement after failing to win a race and finishing fourth in 2025. Both drivers now carry the Vasseur question into the final stretch of the season, with Hamilton having already conceded a top-three finish in the drivers’ standings would represent a significant achievement given where the team started the year. Whether a result at Sepang can quiet the speculation for good remains to be seen, but neither Hamilton nor Leclerc left any doubt about where their support lies heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

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Written by

Jack Renn

Jack Renn is an editor at F1 Chronicle and a veteran motorsport journalist with 25 years of experience covering Formula 1 and international motorsport. A member of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS), the global body representing accredited sports journalists, Jack has spent his career reporting from paddocks and press rooms across the F1 calendar. His work spans race analysis, technical insight, and in-depth features, giving readers authoritative coverage grounded in decades of firsthand experience at the highest level of the sport.

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