Ferrari workforce 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 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 file 104 System 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, dropping 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, recognized for his blistering tempo over a single lap, is poised to affix him on the Scuderia. Nonetheless, the Ferrari workforce boss stays assured in Lewis Hamilton’s capabilities, insisting that the British driver nonetheless possesses vital latent velocity, 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 frightened 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 frightened concerning the scenario. I don’t wish to blame Lewis or Mercedes however this example isn’t straightforward to handle and if it’s not 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 frightened.” – the previous Alfa Romeo boss continued.
Lewis Hamilton is ready 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 rules that let testing of previous-season automobiles.
Frederic Vasseur supplied perception into how Ferrari plans to combine the British driver into the workforce, highlighting the numerous position the Maranello workforce’s simulators will play in his transition. He detailed how the workforce would adapt to welcoming the seasoned Mercedes driver, emphasizing the significance of familiarizing Hamilton with Ferrari’s distinctive processes and programs. The simulators, based on Frederic Vasseur, will likely be a vital device in guaranteeing a clean adaptation as Hamilton prepares to step into the automotive, providing him the chance to be taught and refine his method earlier than hitting the observe.
The French supervisor talked about that they have been conscious there could 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 have the ability to carry out a race simulation, a qualifying simulation, and get absolutely ready with the steering wheel and all the particular particulars of the automotive. Nonetheless, he said that he wasn’t involved about it, as he didn’t contemplate it to be the largest problem.
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