Ferrari 'not worried' by Hamilton's recent form

Ferrari squad main Frederic Vasseur says he is "not worried" astir Lewis Hamilton's struggles successful his last play pinch Mercedes.

Hamilton officially joins Ferrari successful the caller twelvemonth aft a play successful which George Russell comprehensively outperformed the seven-time champion successful qualifying.

Russell vanished 22 points up of Hamilton successful the title arsenic each Mercedes driver won 2 grands prix.

Vasseur admitted Hamilton had had "tough moments" successful qualifying but added that he was "never, never, ne'er worried astir the situation".

The Frenchman pointed to Hamilton's "very bully races" successful Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi astatine the extremity of the play and said he believed that the trouble of handling his last play a Mercedes had an effect connected his performances. Hamilton signed for Ferrari successful January, much than a period earlier the 2024 play started.

Vasseur said: "I americium really convinced, and I don't want to blasted Lewis aliases Mercedes, that this business is not easy to negociate and I tin understand if it is not going good you tin suffer successful this relationship.

"He was not very good successful his mind and he was clear astir this successful Brazil but he besides did very good connected the past mates of events and I americium not worried astatine all."

Vasseur, who was speaking astatine Ferrari's accepted Christmas media lunch, was instrumental successful Hamilton joining Ferrari because of the pair's agelong narration since they worked together successful the inferior categories 2 decades ago.

Asked really he would grip the competitory hostility betwixt Hamilton and his caller team-mate Charles Leclerc, Vasseur said this was "always a challenge" betwixt drivers successful the aforesaid team, but that it would push Ferrari forward.

"Charles, Lewis, I americium not peculiarly worried astir this," Vasseur said. "They person a immense communal respect, they cognize each other, they person been talking astir this for months now.

"It is overmuch amended to conflict for first and 3rd aliases 2nd and 3rd than to conflict for 19th and 20th. It is simply a bully rumor for a squad to person this benignant of chat and attack and I americium really convinced again that the capacity of the squad is coming from the emulation betwixt the two."

Vasseur admitted that Hamilton and the squad faced different "challenge" successful getting up to velocity together successful the 2 and a half months betwixt his joining and the commencement of the play successful Australia connected 14-16 March.

Hamilton is owed to thrust a 2023 Ferrari early successful the caller twelvemonth arsenic he originates his activity to assimilate into his caller team.

Vasseur refused to springiness a day for this test, saying it was "closely linked to the weather". It is expected to beryllium astatine 1 of Ferrari's trial tracks, Fiorano astatine the mill aliases Mugello successful Tuscany.

Ferrari person not fixed immoderate further specifications of their plans for Hamilton earlier the charismatic pre-season trial successful Bahrain connected 26-28 February.

"It is not easy but he is coming pinch his ain experience," Vasseur said. "He is not the rookie of the year, I americium not worried astatine each astir this.

"We cognize that we person a batch of process to assimilate during this mates of days but he is knowledgeable capable to do it.

"We person the advantage to person the simulator and he will beryllium capable to do a title simulation and a qualifying simulation successful the simulator and to beryllium afloat prepared pinch the steering instrumentality and each the particularities of the car. But I americium not worried astir this and it is not the biggest challenge."

Hamilton is expected to move into a spot successful Italy, apt successful Milan, arsenic portion of his move to Ferrari.

Vasseur, who for illustration Hamilton does not speak Italian, said he had nary proposal to springiness him successful position of adapting to Italy and the caller squad different than "to debar to return excessively overmuch pasta, for the ballast".

Ferrari will motorboat their 2025 car successful Maranello connected 19 January, the time aft F1's first charismatic "season launch", which is being held astatine the O2 successful London.

Vasseur said Hamilton would person nary further nationalist engagements for the team.

"We person to beryllium afloat focused connected the season," he said. "It will beryllium a very tight play betwixt the first time and the motorboat and I want to person everybody afloat focused connected performance.

"We person the motorboat of the title and the motorboat of the car. It is 2 events and for maine it is acold excessively much. Or it is acold enough, let's say. I want to beryllium focused connected improvement and capacity and not connected the show."

And Vasseur said for the first clip astir his talks pinch Hamilton past wintertime that led to him joining Ferrari.

"In 2023 we won much races than Mercedes truthful it was not difficult to person him Ferrari would beryllium a bully project," he said.

"He had the task to thrust for Ferrari successful his mind for astatine slightest 22 aliases 23 years because we were discussing this successful 2004. It was not excessively difficult.

"Sometimes it is besides a matter of coincidence aliases to align each the planets, that he is connected the market, that Ferrari person a spot disposable and truthful on. The interaction was an easy one. We started to talk 1 twelvemonth agone and it was not difficult to person him."

Ferrari mislaid retired connected the constructors' title to McLaren by 14 points astatine the last title of 2024 and Vasseur said he expected adjacent play to beryllium different adjacent conflict betwixt the apical 4 teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes.

"What we person to do to triumph adjacent twelvemonth is astir details," he said. "We made bully improvements successful each area but we are still missing 14 points successful the championship. It is simply a batch and almost nothing, it is simply a DNF, a title incident, a strategical decision.

"We are speaking astir specifications connected each azygous pillar. Every azygous mistake, each determination will make a immense decision. I americium judge adjacent twelvemonth the title will beryllium besides tight and we can't fto 1 constituent tally away."