Vasseur Addresses Hamilton’s Frustration After Difficult Hungarian Grand Prix
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has moved to address Lewis Hamilton‘s visible frustration following a challenging weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, endured a disappointing qualifying and race, finishing well behind teammate charles Leclerc who secured pole position. Vasseur insists the situation isn’t a sign of demotivation, but rather a reflection of Hamilton’s incredibly high standards.
“I don’t need to motivate him,” Vasseur stated, emphasizing Hamilton’s inherent drive. “Honestly, he’s frustrated, but not demotivated – it’s a fully different story.”
Understanding the Heat of the Moment
Vasseur acknowledged the intensity of emotions experienced by drivers in the heat of competition. He drew parallels to other sports, suggesting similar reactions wouldn’t be unusual.
“Sometimes you are making comments on what the driver is saying in the car, but if you put the microphone on some other sportsmen in football, I’m not sure it woudl be much better,” he explained. “They are in the performance, and sometimes they make comments, even when they jump out of the car.”
He further admitted that even he is susceptible to expressing frustration, possibly risking a stewards’ inquiry for strong language. “Sometimes,just after the race or qualifying,you are very disappointed,and the first reaction is harsh,” Vasseur conceded.
Qualifying Performance: Closer Then It Appeared
Vasseur was keen to contextualize the qualifying gap between Hamilton and Leclerc. He pointed out that Hamilton was narrowly outside the top ten shootout, missing out by a mere 0.015 seconds.”The gap between Leclerc and Hamilton has been as big as it appeared in qualifying,” Vasseur clarified. “He was just 0.015 seconds from making the cut to join Leclerc in the final part of qualifying.”
Hamilton’s Demanding nature: A Key to Success
Vasseur believes Hamilton’s demanding personality is a core component of his success. He highlighted the driver’s relentless pursuit of perfection across all aspects of the team.
Here’s how Hamilton pushes for improvement:
He demands excellence from the team.
He relentlessly seeks improvements in the car.
He challenges engineers and mechanics. Most importantly, he holds himself to the highest standards.
“It’s always been a good motivation for him, the main reason for his performance,” Vasseur said.”When you are a seven-time world champion and your teammate is in pole position, and you are out in Q2, it’s tough.”
Putting the Qualifying Gap into Outlook
Vasseur stressed that the perceived 1.2-second gap in qualifying was misleading. He revealed Hamilton had actually outperformed Leclerc in the first qualifying session.
“He was in front of Charles in Q1, on the first set,” Vasseur noted. “We are not far away from having both cars eliminated in Q2.”
He reiterated that Leclerc’s pole position doesn’t negate the fact that the two drivers were closely matched. “The outcome of this is Charles at the end is able to do the pole position, but it’s not… Honestly, the gap was not 1.2 seconds yesterday,” Vasseur emphasized.
Ultimately,Vasseur understands Hamilton’s frustration is a natural response to a difficult weekend and a testament to his unwavering desire to compete at the very front of the grid. He remains confident that Hamilton’s passion will continue to drive performance and contribute to Ferrari’s overall success.
