Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur unleashed a tirade of expletives in response to a journalist's probing question about Lewis Hamilton's faltering performance, as the seven-time world champion continues to struggle in his new role at Maranello.
Hamilton has yet to match the lofty expectations set by his high-profile move from Mercedes, a fact acknowledged by Vasseur himself as he left Jeddah, where he noted, "He's having too many ups and downs."
Italy's partisan press echoed this sentiment, with La Gazzetta dello Sport asserting that Hamilton has fallen "well short of expectations" in his first five races with Ferrari.
But Vasseur's ire was particularly sparked by a reporter who asked why Hamilton's personal performance has declined so "dramatically" in 2025, given his age of 40. "Dramatically?" Vasseur retorted incredulously.
"We did five races so far! I know you want a big headline saying 'Fred said this' but this is f**king bulls**t."
The Frenchman clarified that the "ups and downs" he mentioned are par for the course in Formula 1, reaffirming his unwavering support for Hamilton. "I will be 2000 per cent behind him," Vasseur insisted. "I'm not worried at all. We'll start to find solutions and we will start immediately to discover the causes."
He also suggested a double standard in media scrutiny, stating, "I suspect that you didn't draw the same conclusion with Max (Verstappen) when he was seventh last week."
Dismissing the journalist's line of questioning, Vasseur added, "You just do what you want. I'm not going to worry about you."
Criticism of Hamilton extends beyond the reporter, with some targeting Vasseur's leadership. Prominent Italian F1 commentator Leo Turrini offered a candid assessment of Vasseur's tenure, stating, "Vasseur's balance sheet says this—one podium in five races. Is that enough? Not at all. Can we imagine a better future? Maybe, even if the disappointment is palpable—especially considering that there is another Ferrari, the one from the WEC, that wins."
On Hamilton's performance, Turrini remarked, "That he is slower than Leclerc on a lap, well, I took it for granted. The point is the size of the gap. Now, I don't like attacks, and I supported Lewis' hiring and I hope he can prove right those who—like me—believed in the sporting validity of the signing. We'll see, while keeping in mind that the doubts of many are legitimate."
Spanish broadcaster Antonio Lobato questioned Ferrari's motives for replacing Carlos Sainz with Hamilton, suggesting commercial priorities may have overshadowed sporting ones.
"Is this what they wanted—to sell caps and t-shirts and nothing more?" he said on DAZN. "I say if you really want to take over social media and sell a lot of caps, sign Jennifer Lopez instead—and you might sell even more."
