Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is confident that Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at the Scuderia will bring a transformative shift in mindset as the team continues its quest to claim a first Formula 1 world title since 2008.
Following Ferrari’s strongest season in years, Vasseur believes the seven-time world champion’s wealth of experience and paralleled attention to detail will help the Italian outfit refine the critical margins needed to emerge victorious in F1’s highly competitive landscape.
Ferrari has rebounded significantly since Vasseur’s arrival in Maranello in January 2023. This year, the Scuderia narrowly missed out on the Constructors’ championship, finishing 14 points behind McLaren despite a strong campaign featuring five wins and 22 podiums.
Vasseur sees Hamilton’s addition as the final catalyst that could finally propel the team back to the top.
“I am convinced that Lewis will come with his own experience, with the background of 18 years in F1, with a couple of titles and so,” commented Vasseur last weekend in Abu Dhabi, quoted by Motorsport.com.
“And it will be a real push to keep this mindset, to try to do a bit better everywhere.”
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Vasseur, who previously worked with Hamilton during the Briton’s junior career in the ASM/ART team, highlighted his trademark focus on the smallest details.
Back then, Hamilton dominated the 2005 F3 Euro Series and 2006 GP2 Series under Vasseur’s guidance, and the Ferrari boss sees the same traits in his driver nearly two decades later.
“I perfectly remember with Lewis in 2005-06 that he was already like this, pushing on the small details,” he explained.
“At the end of the day, if you have a look, I think that on average the delta between McLaren and us in qualifying was a couple of hundredths, and we are really at this stage, also with Red Bull and Mercedes, that we are speaking about details.
“We really need to have this kind of mindset to chase the last one-thousandth in every single area and I think Lewis will be a good asset for this also.”
Hamilton joins Ferrari after 18 seasons in F1 split between McLaren and Mercedes, two British-rooted teams with different operational philosophies from Ferrari’s heavily Italian-centric approach.
However, Vasseur believes Hamilton’s diverse experiences will inject fresh ideas into the Scuderia, which he described as being somewhat “isolated” due to its unique cultural setup.
This enrichment, coupled with Hamilton’s work ethic, could help Ferrari make the final leap after coming so close in 2024.
Hamilton, for his part, is under no illusions about the challenge of transitioning to a new team. He likened his move to Ferrari to the one he made to Mercedes in 2013, which ultimately laid the foundation for one of F1’s most dominant eras.
“Of course it really sparks motivation and it's a dream scenario for any driver to have an opportunity like this,” Hamilton said last weekend at Yas Marina. “So, don't take that for granted.”
The seven-time world champion also acknowledged the learning curve ahead but expressed excitement about starting this new chapter with Ferrari.
“You know, I remember when I joined Mercedes, and it's not an easy step to ever enter into a new team. And it takes time to build new relationships and learn the tools and everything,” he said.
“Coming into next year with that same focus, that same might that I had when I joined Mercedes and with ultimately that leap of faith, I think is exciting and exhilarating.”
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