Photo: RacePictures.

Vasseur responds to Hamilton and Leclerc’s frustration after Qatar GP misery

20:35, 01 Dec

byNorberto Mujica

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have firmly criticised Ferrari’s lack of performance throughout the 2025 season.

"I can understand their frustration and trust me that if you asked me the question when I'm on the pit wall at the end of the session, I think I would have replied probably with the same words.”

- Frederic Vasseur.

Photo: RacePictures.

And in Qatar both drivers also made their feelings very clear as well, with Hamilton stating he had notes on Ferrari’s plentiful weak points that he felt the team had no reason to overlook, as they could only improve if they heeded his advice, and Leclerc claiming he had taken ludicrous risks in hopes of clinching merely P8 or P9 during qualifying for the Grand Prix, having to settle ultimately for P10 at the end of the session.

Confronted with his drivers’ statements, the Ferrari team principal said he understood and shared his drivers’ sentiments, but ultimately he downplayed them as words uttered in the heat of post-race emotions.

Vasseur understands Ferrari drivers' emotionality

“Honestly, I can't say that it was positive,” Vasseur told GPblog after the race. “The collaboration and the briefing and so [on], was positive and we were all pushing in the same direction.

“Now I can understand their frustration and trust me that if you asked me the question when I'm on the pit wall at the end of the session, I think I would have replied probably with the same words,” Vasseur confessed.

Photo: RacePictures.

However, the Frenchman did highlight that despite his drivers’ often coming out of a race weekend feeling frustrated, their attention - when back in the garage - would always turn back to working with the team to find a way out of the tough situation Ferrari is in.

“And I understand their frustration in the TV pen,” Vasseur added. “Now the most important is when they are back into the garage with the mechanics, the engineers, they try to find solutions. And we tried this weekend,” he concluded.

Hamilton urges Ferrari to follow his "notes"

Hamilton, upon finishing the Qatar Grand Prix in P12 revealed he had "notes" for the Scuderia to look over, which he believed could only help the team improve, urging them to take action, stressing there was no reason why they shouldn't. Read his full comments here.

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.