Ferrari boss slaps Hamilton with ‘you’re only making it worse’ reproach

Fred Vasseur has urged Lewis Hamilton to stay calm after the seven-time World Champion’s Hungarian Grand Prix meltdown, warning that his public self-criticism risks making problems worse.

Hamilton endured one of his toughest weekends yet in red, qualifying only P12 before finishing in the same position, while teammate Charles Leclerc took Ferrari’s first pole of the season and crossed the line fourth.

After the Saturday afternoon session, Hamilton branded himself “useless” and alluded to “things going on in the background” at Ferrari that were “not so great.”

'Hamilton is only making things worse'

“Stay calm,” Vasseur told Auto Motor und Sport when asked how Ferrari can make Hamilton feel more comfortable.

“Don’t let things like what happened in Budapest get you down," he added.

Lewis Hamilton in Hungary

"Lewis is very self-critical. He is always extreme in his reactions.

"Sometimes he is too hard on the car, sometimes on himself. He wants to get the most out of himself and everyone in the team.

However, the Brit's emotionality can get the best of him, Vasseu believes. "The message he sends out only makes things worse.”

'Hamilton's meltdowns only for the press' Ferrari chief admits

Vasseur then explained that Hamilton’s harsh words are, more often than not, uttered to the media alone.

“Most of the time, he’s only that extreme with the press.

"By the time he comes into the briefing room, he’s usually calmed down again.

"That’s just his way. For me, it’s no big deal,” the Ferrari boss said.

The Frenchman stressed he can live with Hamilton’s demanding nature, but underlined the importance of context.

“In Q2 he was only a tenth of a second behind the driver who later took pole position. That’s no big deal,” Vasseur pointed out.

“He demands a lot, from others but also from himself. I can live with that.”

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