Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur has firmly rejected Lewis Hamilton’s current assertion that he’s “not quick anymore,” providing help to the incoming Maranello driver whereas emphasizing his enduring pace.
Following a qualifying session on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit, the place Lewis Hamilton ended up seventh, practically four-tenths behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell, the seven-time Formulation world champion expressed frustration, stating, “I’m simply gradual, similar each weekend,” and “I’m positively not quick anymore.”
The British driver, who holds a report 104 Formulation 1 pole positions, has confronted challenges in qualifying in the course of the period of ground-effect vehicles. 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 pace, regardless of his current 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 fearful 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 fearful in regards to the scenario. I don’t wish to blame Lewis or Mercedes however this case shouldn’t be straightforward to handle and if it’s not going nicely, the connection can undergo. It was not very nicely in his thoughts, he was clear about this in Brazil, however he did very nicely within the final couple of occasions, so I’m not fearful.” – 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 automobile as a part of the rules that let testing of previous-season automobiles.
Frederic Vasseur supplied perception into how Ferrari plans to combine the British driver into the group, highlighting the numerous position 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, can be an important software in making certain a easy adaptation as Hamilton prepares to step into the automobile, providing him the chance to study and refine his strategy earlier than hitting the monitor.
The French supervisor talked about that they have been conscious there can be many procedures to assimilate over the following few days, however he believed Lewis Hamilton was skilled sufficient to deal with it. He added that they might have the benefit of utilizing the simulators. Fred Vasseur defined that Lewis Hamilton would have the ability to carry out a race simulation, a qualifying simulation, and get absolutely ready with the steering wheel and all the precise particulars of the automobile. Nonetheless, he said that he wasn’t involved about it, as he didn’t think about it to be the most important problem.
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