Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur angered by one ‘rude’ thing Lewis Hamilton’s critics keep saying

Lewis Hamilton has made a mixed start to his Ferrari career. He impressively won the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, but his first two races have been a disappointment.

Hamilton’s victory was his first not only in Ferrari colours – though it won’t count towards his win tally – but also his first in the shorter format. He also qualified on pole position, something he didn’t manage at all in his final season at Mercedes.

In the race, however, Hamilton offered to let Charles Leclerc past (despite the Monegasque’s front-wing damage) as he struggled for pace. He eventually crossed the line sixth, only to be disqualified for excessive plank wear.

The 40-year-old was reasonably close to Leclerc on debut in Australia, joining him on the fourth row in qualifying. They finished P8 and P10 in the race after botching the late change from slicks back to intermediates.

The upshot is that Hamilton has only collected eight points from three events so far. While that doesn’t tell the whole story, it leaves him a rather underwhelming ninth in the standings ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Fred Vasseur reacts to Lewis Hamilton ‘worn out’ narrative – ‘it’s false’

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Ferrari’s team principal Fred Vasseur addressed suggestions that Hamilton was well past his best and ‘worn out’. It became a popular narrative among his critics last season.

2024 was statistically Hamilton’s worst year to date. He finished outside the top six of the championship for the first time – below teammate George Russell – and lost the intra-Mercedes qualifying head-to-head 19-5.

Naturally, many linked these performances to his age. He’s the second-oldest driver on the grid behind Fernando Alonso and nobody over the age of 40 has won the title since 1966.

However, Vasseur has called the accusations both ‘rude’ and ‘false’. He pointed to the Abu Dhabi GP, where the seven-time world champion charged through the field in a fitting farewell to his old team.

“To think that Hamilton is worn out, finished, is rude,” he said. “And what’s more, it’s false. Look at his last race last year: he started sixteenth and finished fourth, overtaking his teammate.”

Nico Rosberg says Hamilton won Mercedes’ bragging rights by passing Russell on the final lap. It meant he’d scored more points over the three-year partnership.

Why Ayrton Senna’s former teammate will never call Lewis Hamilton the GOAT

Sky Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher says Hamilton would have ‘no chance’ up against Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, at Red Bull. He needs a ‘quieter’ car, whereas Verstappen can tame the somewhat wild RB21.

Leclerc still poses one of the toughest challenges on the grid, though. The eight-time race-winner was widely expected to have the edge in qualifying, but Hamilton beat him on both Friday and Saturday in China.

Hamilton will be the undisputed greatest of all time in the eyes of many if he can win an eighth title at Maranello. No other driver has achieved that feat.

However, Ayrton Senna’s former teammate Alain Prost says he’d ‘never’ call Hamilton the GOAT outright. The Frenchman feels it’s impossible to compare across different eras, rendering the title somewhat meaningless.