Hamilton backs Vasseur while questioning Ferrari’s wider leadership structure

Lewis Hamilton has publicly backed Fred Vasseur to continue leading Ferrari while suggesting that the team's wider management structure deserves examination. Speaking in Sepang on Thursday, Hamilton said the team principal remained the right person for the job, according to reporting by The Guardian, but declined to identify the changes he would make.

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His comments followed Ferrari's statement on Tuesday expressing confidence in Vasseur. Hamilton stressed the importance of stability and a shared direction, arguing that attention was too heavily concentrated on a single leadership role. His support for Vasseur came alongside questions about how responsibility is organised across the wider company.

The Guardian reported that Hamilton pointed to the management positions above Vasseur, with executive chair John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna part of Ferrari's leadership. He contrasted that arrangement with the position of Toto Wolff at Mercedes, where Hamilton previously raced. Although he acknowledged having ideas for changes, he did not disclose them or announce any agreed restructuring.

Ferrari's results provide the backdrop to the discussion. Hamilton won for the team for the first time in Barcelona this year, while Charles Leclerc took victory at Silverstone. Ferrari nevertheless sit second in the constructors' standings, 160 points behind Mercedes, and Hamilton is 103 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, The Guardian reported.

The report described Ferrari as having begun the season strongly before losing ground as McLaren and Red Bull developed their cars. Hamilton also addressed the criticism surrounding Ferrari, saying he found the negativity frustrating and believed comparable mistakes attracted much greater attention when made by his team than by its rivals.

Hamilton said he does not read much of that coverage and that it does not affect him personally. He nevertheless said he could see its effect on other team members. He argued that outside assessments did not reflect the work taking place internally, and said Ferrari would remain focused on improving regardless of what was written.

The driver also tempered expectations about the pace of progress. Hamilton said he had not expected Ferrari to reach its intended level during his second season with the team, while continuing to express hope that it would eventually do so.