Frédéric Vasseur explained how he hadn’t been able to satisfy all of Lewis Hamilton’s requests about how to address Ferrari’s problems in Formula 1.
At the start of 2026, the seven-time world champion had said that the leader had “moved mountains” to try to address all the points raised for this season after a 2025 campaign far below expectations.
Among the changes was the braking system of the Maranello outfit, with the seven-time champion seeking to switch to Carbon Industrie brake discs instead of Brembo, the Italian team’s long-standing partner and tradition.
Since March, Hamilton has been using the requested brakes, and Charles Leclerc also adopted the adjustment in Canada and Monaco. Vasseur then explained that you cannot satisfy every request from the drivers. “Yes, but we didn’t do everything he wanted,” he told Autosport when asked if he had managed to meet all the demands.
“Sometimes they don’t have the full view of the situation, but for me it’s good to understand where they feel we are weak. Sometimes, with their contributions, you understand something you didn’t see before, because I was focused on the team’s perspective, and you realize that, for the drivers, the viewpoint is a little different.”
About Lewis’s arrival and all his knowledge of titles from Mercedes, Vasseur pointed out that it was positive. “It’s good to shake up the system a little. If you live in your bubble your whole life with the same people, there comes a moment when it’s hard to evolve. This applies to the drivers. It also applies to engineers when recruiting professionals from other teams.”
“One of the drivers’ main qualities is the ability to contribute to the team’s development. The worst scenario is when you start a discussion and you sense the other person is trying to find an excuse; but when there is a good relationship, it’s never about an excuse. I think we have this positive attitude of helping one another and understanding that the other person may have a different point of view,” he added.
“I’m not always right. I’m not always wrong; it’s only through collaboration, discussion, and exchange of ideas that we will evolve,” he concluded.
