Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton’s latest assertion that he’s “not quick anymore,” providing assist to the incoming Maranello driver whereas emphasizing his enduring velocity.
Following a qualifying session on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit, the place Lewis Hamilton ended up seventh, almost four-tenths behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell, the seven-time System world champion expressed frustration, stating, “I’m simply sluggish, similar each weekend,” and “I’m positively not quick anymore.”
The British driver, who holds a document 104 System 1 pole positions, has confronted challenges in qualifying through the period of ground-effect automobiles. His solitary pole place in 2023 got here at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he has been decisively outperformed by George Russell in head-to-head qualifying classes, shedding 5-19 in Grand Prix qualifying and 6-24 when sprints are included.
Regardless of these struggles, Lewis Hamilton’s new teammate at Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, identified for his blistering tempo over a single lap, is poised to affix him on the Scuderia. Nonetheless, the Ferrari group boss stays assured in Lewis Hamilton’s capabilities, insisting that the British driver nonetheless possesses vital latent velocity, regardless of his latest frustrations.
“Ask that query to [George] Russell on Sunday [in Abu Dhabi],” Frederic Vasseur replied. When requested about Lewis Hamilton’s “I’m not quick anymore” remark, the French supervisor referred to the decisive last-lap transfer for fourth place on his former Mercedes teammate.
“It’s on Sunday that you’re scoring factors first, and I’m not nervous in any respect about this. He has had robust moments in quali, however the high quality of Abu Dhabi was linked to the efficiency of Lewis. He had excellent races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, and I used to be by no means, by no means nervous concerning the state of affairs. I don’t need to blame Lewis or Mercedes however this case is just not straightforward to handle and if it isn’t going properly, the connection can undergo. It was not very properly in his thoughts, he was clear about this in Brazil, however he did very properly within the final couple of occasions, so I’m not nervous.” – the previous Alfa Romeo boss continued.
Lewis Hamilton is about to make his much-anticipated debut behind the wheel of a Ferrari in January, the place he’ll drive a 2023-spec automotive as a part of the laws that allow testing of previous-season automobiles.
Frederic Vasseur offered perception into how Ferrari plans to combine the British driver into the group, highlighting the numerous function the Maranello group’s simulators will play in his transition. He detailed how the group would adapt to welcoming the seasoned Mercedes driver, emphasizing the significance of familiarizing Hamilton with Ferrari’s distinctive processes and techniques. The simulators, in line with Frederic Vasseur, will likely be a vital instrument in guaranteeing a easy adaptation as Hamilton prepares to step into the automotive, providing him the chance to study and refine his strategy earlier than hitting the observe.
The French supervisor talked about that they had been conscious there can be many procedures to assimilate over the subsequent few days, however he believed Lewis Hamilton was skilled sufficient to deal with it. He added that they’d have the benefit of utilizing the simulators. Fred Vasseur defined that Lewis Hamilton would be capable of carry out a race simulation, a qualifying simulation, and get totally ready with the steering wheel and all the particular particulars of the automotive. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that he wasn’t involved about it, as he didn’t think about it to be the most important problem.
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