Despite sitting second in the constructors’ championship, Ferrari has made an indifferent start to the season and currently sits 197 points behind leaders McLaren.
Vasseur’s position in the team has been subjected to scrutiny, but seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari last winter, is adamant that he is the “person to take us to the top”.
Speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “It’s definitely not nice to hear that there are stories like that that are out there. Firstly, I love working with Fred. Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team and I got the opportunity to be here, which I’m forever grateful for. And we’re in this together. We’re working hard in the background.
“Things aren’t perfect, but for me, as I said, I’m here to work with the team, but also with Fred. I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top. And so that’s that.
“It’s ultimately nonsense what people have written. Most people don’t know what’s going on in the background. It isn’t all easy. It’s not like it’s all the smoothest sailing in the background.
“We are having to make changes, and it’s a lot of work to do. And there is naturally a lot of pressure because we want to win. But that’s not any part of the discussion at the moment.”
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
Hamilton was asked a second time about the logic in replacing Vasseur, while he also addresses speculation about his own future in the team.
Hamilton doubled down on his support for Vasseur and insists that he is in for the “long haul” with Ferrari.
He added: “It takes time to adjust, and the impact that has is significant, so yes, that’s not part of the discussion.
“I’m here to win with Fred, and he has my full support, and then also to all the others, everyone that’s writing stories of me considering not racing, and I mean, I literally only just started firstly here with Ferrari.
“I’m here for several years, and I’m here for the long haul, so there is no question about where my head’s at and what I’m working towards achieving with this team, so there are zero doubts, so please stop making up stuff.”
Hamilton finds himself in sixth place in the drivers’ championship and is hoping that this weekend’s race in Montreal delivers an uptick in results and he adjusts to working with his new team.
He said: “It [the situation in the team] looks a lot worse outside than it probably is on the inside. Even just coming from engineering now, how they set the car up compared to any other year that I’ve been here, it’s completely different.
“There’s a certain way they like to work. To say, ‘hold on a second, that doesn’t actually make sense’.
“So getting those things, consistently working with the team and making sure you’re working in a constructive way to make changes.”
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