19/08/2025 06:30
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has further explained his
rationale for confirming Lewis Hamilton would be joining the
Scuderia before the start of the 2024 F1 season. The 57-year-old,
who had been at the helm of the Italian team since the start of the
previous year, wanted to avoid triggering a "panic mode" from
Carlos Sainz. Highlighting how "stories and upheavals" can cost
compromise focus, the Frenchman compared how Red Bull has struggled
in contrast to McLaren because of the significant noise surrounding
the Milton Keynes-based team. It was also part of the reason
Vasseur was so enraged by rumours regarding personnel at Ferrari
and negative reporting on the Maranello team whilst his own future
was being speculated about earlier this year. Whilst he has now
signed on to a multi-year extension with the Prancing Horse, he was
livid with not only the standard of coverage Ferrari received over
the period, but also the impact it had internally. When asked if
that episode hurt the 16-time F1 constructors' champions, Vasseur
quickly pivoted, addressing rival teams in the paddock. "This isn't
about me," he responded to Auto, Motor und Sport . "Things like
this can cause people in the team to lose focus. "Look at Red Bull
and what's happened there in recent weeks. There have only been
rumours about Verstappen. "And that's one of McLaren's strengths.
They've managed to stay out of all these stories and upheavals."
Elaborating on his point, Vasseur detailed how avoiding distraction
and minimising the pain of changing drivers was his motivation for
making Hamilton's switch to the team public before the upcoming
campaign had got underway. Although a difficult experience for
Sainz, it was a decision made with the Spaniard in mind, who could
acquiesce with the situation and move on. "That's why I announced
Lewis [Hamilton]'s signing before the season started last year,"
Vasseur said. "If I'd done that between Imola and Monte Carlo, many
would have gone into panic mode. "This way, Carlos [Sainz] was
aware of the situation from the start and was able to digest it
before it all started. His focus was on his job."
