Ferrari F1 boss sends team warning after Lewis Hamilton’s officially join.
Ferrari F1 boss Fred Vasseur has issued a cautionary message to his team, urging them to stay focused despite the excitement surrounding the official arrival of Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, after 12 years with Mercedes, officially joined Ferrari on January 1, 2025, just ahead of the new season. Hamilton will form part of a new Ferrari driver lineup alongside Charles Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz set to move to Williams. Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has sparked widespread anticipation, especially as the British driver is now looking to capture an unprecedented eighth world championship title.
However, Vasseur, who took charge of the Scuderia in 2023, stressed the importance of maintaining focus amid the buzz surrounding Hamilton’s joining the Italian team. Speaking to Sky Sports News after the conclusion of the 2024 season, Vasseur acknowledged the excitement, particularly among Ferrari’s mechanics, who will now work alongside one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history. Despite this, he emphasized that the team must not get carried away by the glamour of having Hamilton in the car.
“Everybody all over the world is excited [about Hamilton joining], and for sure, the mechanics are also excited,” Vasseur said. “It’s always exciting to have someone who is a seven-time world champion in the car. But I think after day one, we’ll have to turn this page and focus on the job.”
The arrival of Hamilton, whose resume includes 103 Grand Prix victories and a remarkable seven world titles, is undeniably a significant moment in Ferrari’s history. It has sparked great enthusiasm among fans and the team, but Vasseur emphasized that excitement must give way to determination when it comes to the actual work on the track.
Vasseur was also asked about the emotional significance for Hamilton, who will drive a Ferrari car for the first time during a Test of Previous Cars (TPC) session in Fiorano scheduled for January. Given Hamilton’s long career and his personal history with Ferrari, the moment is expected to be highly emotional for the British driver, who has often spoken of his admiration for the Scuderia.
“Yeah, it’s true that it’s quite emotional, because I think he has had this moment in his mind for probably 20 years,” Vasseur remarked. “It means that it will be emotional, but it has to be emotional for one lap! And then, to be focused.”
Vasseur’s comments underline the key challenge ahead for Hamilton: while the first drive in the Ferrari car will undoubtedly carry sentimental value, the main focus must be on performance. Once the initial emotions settle, Hamilton will need to adapt quickly to the Ferrari team environment and work with Leclerc to help push the team back to the front of the grid. Ferrari’s goal, after all, is not merely to have a legendary driver but to craft a car capable of securing the team’s first world title since 2007.
While Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will undoubtedly bring an influx of attention and energy to the team, Vasseur is clear that the team’s primary aim is success on the track, and that ambition must outweigh the emotional weight of having one of the sport’s greatest figures in the cockpit. Every F1 team, no matter how passionate or steeped in history, is ultimately driven by the singular goal of winning championships, and for Ferrari, this means finding the right balance between emotion and focus.
In the coming season, Ferrari will look to provide Hamilton and Leclerc with a car capable of challenging for the championship, as they aim to end a 16-year title drought. Vasseur will be at the forefront of this challenge, balancing the excitement surrounding Hamilton’s arrival with the hard work needed to restore Ferrari to its championship-winning ways.
