Lewis Hamilton Breaks Silence on Ferrari Future Amid Performance Struggles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Ferrari Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his long-term future with Ferrari amid recent performance struggles. The Briton also revealed his preference for team principal Fred Vasseur, considering the recent rumors of his position being under threat.
Hamilton's Ferrari journey has been under scrutiny, given his bombshell move from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 season, in the quest for his eighth world championship title.
However, his journey so far with the Red team has been filled with learnings and struggles, apart from the burst of performance witnessed during the sprint race in China that Hamilton won.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari speaks in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 12, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari speaks in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 12, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec.Hamilton was upset after the Spanish Grand Prix and even stated to the media in a dejected tone that he had no answers. That led many to question if the seven-time world champion was at the end of his F1 career and contemplating retiring from the sport. When asked by the media, he confirmed his commitment to Ferrari during the press conference in Canada. He said:
"To everyone that's writing stories of me considering not racing — I mean, I literally only just started, firstly, here with Ferrari, and I'm here for several years.
"I'm here for the long haul. So there is no question in where my head's at and what I'm working towards achieving with this team.
"So there's zero doubts. Please stop making up stuff."
Hamilton admitted enjoying the current challenge with his new team and stressed that the current SF-25 F1 car has not been designed from his input. He also revealed that Ferrari will soon shift focus to the 2026 car, adding that his contribution will be present on the new car.
"We're in that period where we obviously have to start working on next year's car.
"The car I'm racing right now is not a car that I've had input in developing and evolving over the past four years. I'm driving a car that Charles has obviously been a part of developing [and] knows very, very well.
"It's challenging, but I'm enjoying that challenge."
The rumor mill also churned out stories about Vasseur and that his position in Ferrari remains under scrutiny. However, Hamilton has dismissed the speculation, stressing that he joined Ferrari because of Vasseur and that he would want him to stay. He said:
"It's definitely not nice to hear that there's stories like that that are out there.
"Firstly, I love working with Fred. Fred's the main reason I'm in this team and 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, I'm here to work with 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."
He added:
"I'm here to win with Fred, and he has my full support."
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