Formula 1 News: Hamilton defends Ferrari as pressure mounts on Vasseur
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton (pictured) has hit back at “media headlines” over Ferrari’s worsening slump, insisting he still believes the struggling Italian team can turn things around.
After another difficult weekend in Singapore – where Hamilton was penalized for driving off-track with brake failure and slammed by Fernando Alonso – the seven-time world champion posted a long message to his Instagram followers.
“The media headlines only tell one story – one where we don’t get things quite right, or things don’t go our way,” he wrote. “But what I have been focused on is the other story – how this team responds when things go wrong, how we get back up and go again.”
Hamilton said he remains “really proud” of Ferrari despite the setbacks. Teammate Charles Leclerc, however, admits morale is being tested.
“At the moment, Lewis and I feel like passengers,” he said. “We can’t get anymore out of this car.
“You come with high expectations and don’t see any progress. It takes a lot of energy, but it doesn’t demotivate me – it drives me to turn this situation around.”
But the Italian press is losing patience. Veteran columnist Leo Turrini wrote in Quotidiano: “This Ferrari not only fails to live up to tradition – the worst thing is there’s no sense of a turning point.
“Hamilton and Leclerc’s frustration is a terrible sign. F1 has never been more popular, and the most famous brand on earth is fading into the background. It just can’t go on like this.”
Team boss Frederic Vasseur himself admitted in Blick: “We’re suddenly one step behind our rivals. The results aren’t coming, and the sources of error are piling up. So we have to improve everywhere.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport’s well-known writer Luigi Perna highlighted the scale of Ferrari’s decline. “Eighteen races without a podium – a career low for Hamilton.
“The team hasn’t won in almost a year, and its 22-race drought is one of the longest in Ferrari history.”
Former Benetton F1 chairman Alessandro Benetton said Ferrari’s recovery depends on rediscovering leadership and energy. “Winning teams almost always start with a champion who inspires the organization,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
“That’s what Ferrari needs again.”
And Hamilton’s former McLaren teammate Jenson Button warned: “With the new rules, we’ll either see the best Lewis – or someone who hangs up his helmet.”