12/06/2025 21:29
Lewis Hamilton has described as "nonsense" the speculation that
Ferrari is primed to axe team principal Fred Vasseur, and that he
is already considering quitting the Scuderia. Italian media has
suggested Vasseur could be shown the exit door if results fail to
improve following a tough start to a season when it was fully
expected to go toe-to-toe with McLaren for this year's
championships. Instead, Ferrari is a staggering 197 points shy of
McLaren in the constructors' standings, whilst Charles Leclerc and
Lewis Hamilton are a long way adrift of McLaren duo Oscar Piastri
and Lando Norris in the drivers' title fight. Given the gloomy
picture for the Scuderia, that has prompted Italy's leading
newspapers to suggest Vasseur's position is under serious threat.
Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who has made clear that joining
forces with Vasseur was one of the reasons he opted to join Ferrari
and end his long association with Mercedes, has given the
rumour-mongers short shrift. "I was just made aware of it [the
speculation] just before I got here, so I've not read the stories,"
said Hamilton, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, in
Montreal ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix. "It's
definitely not nice to hear that there are stories like that out
there. "Firstly, I love working with Fred. Fred's the main reason
I'm in this team and I got the opportunity to be here, for which
I'm forever grateful, and we're in this together. "We're working
hard in the background. Things aren't perfect, but for me, as I've
said, I'm here to work with the team, but also with Fred. I want
Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top.
"So this, ultimately, is nonsense what people have written. "Most
people don't know what's going on in the background and it isn't
all easy. It's not like all smooth sailing. We are having to make
changes, and there's a lot of work to do. "There is naturally a lot
of pressure because we want to win, but that's not any part of the
discussion at the moment." Asked how foolish it would be for
Ferrari to dismiss Vasseur, Hamilton added: "Again, I don't think
that's on the cards, as far as I'm aware, and that's certainly not
something I would be supportive of. "Embedding new people, new
personnel, whether it's a driver, or whether it's engineers or
people who run an organisation, it takes time to adjust, and the
impact that has is significant. "So that's not part of the
discussion. I'm here to win with Fred, and he has my full support."
Hamilton reserved his final condemnation for those who have
suggested he could retire in light of the struggles he has
experienced with the team. The 40-year-old has failed to score a
grand prix podium, with his best result in a sprint when he won in
China. "And then also, to everyone that's writing stories of me
considering not racing, I've literally only just started with
Ferrari," insisted Hamilton. "I'm here for several years. I'm here
for the long haul, so there is no question about where my head's at
and what I'm working towards achieving with this team. There are
zero doubts, so please stop making up stuff."
