Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari marked a reunion with Frederic Vasseur almost 20 years after his GP2 title triumph.

The Frenchman worked with Hamilton in 2006 at ART Grand Prix before he made the step to F1 with McLaren the following year. In 2025, the pair are looking to replicate that success at Ferrari.

The seven-time champion’s seismic move to Maranello have exited fans all over the world. Almost everyone will be hoping Hamilton can grab a record-eighth title in red.

His start to life at Ferrari has not gone smoothly, however. Hamilton finished 10th on his debut in Melbourne after a gamble on dry tyres in the wet conditions did not pay off.

Position	Drivers’ Championship	Points
1	Lando Norris	44
2	Max Verstappen	36
3	George Russell	35
4	Oscar Piastri	34
5	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	22
6	Alexander Albon	16
7	Esteban Ocon	10
8	Lance Stroll	10
9	Lewis Hamilton	9
10	Charles Leclerc	8

At the Chinese Grand Prix, the 40-year-old dominated the field and won his and the team’s first Sprint race. But Ferrari regressed in Sunday’s race and finished P5 and P6 before Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified – the former for excessive plank wear and the latter for being underweight.

Hamilton has nine points from his first two races – certainly not the start he would have wanted. However, his impact on Ferrari behind the scenes has been clear to see.

Frederic Vasseur says Lewis Hamilton still does his ‘trademark’ thing of being ‘ultra-demanding’ behind the scenes

The Brit has looked to embrace the Ferrari culture ever since he stepped in the door at Maranello in January. Hamilton has been learning Italian and has moved his motorhome outside of Enzo Ferrari’s old house.

This has gone a long way in pushing the team towards a title challenge. Hamilton is invigorated at Ferrari – and his mindset is helping his new team behind the scenes.

Speaking with L’Equipe, team principal Vasseur shared that Hamilton is still ‘ultra-demanding’ and is pushing Ferrari to be the best they can. It is a ‘trademark’ thing for the 40-year-old that he still does 20 years later.

“We all change in 20 years, but the common characteristic between the Lewis of today and the Lewis of 20 years ago is that he is ultra-demanding,” he said.

“The first to go running in the morning. It’s his trademark and he kept it. And by being demanding with himself, he is also ultra-demanding with everyone. He has this capacity to push everyone a bit.

“When we talk about a driver’s performance, it’s not just about braking late at turn eight. Lewis can extract the maximum from all the people around him because he is demanding with himself, and that goes over very well when he is demanding with others.

“It also allows us to change our perspective. We don’t do things the way Mercedes, Red Bull, or McLaren do; we all do things differently, but despite it all, we all end up in the same tenth.

“Lewis, because of his past, has other demands, he thinks of stuff differently. And I’m not saying it’s better or worse. But for us, it helps.”

Frederic Vasseur angered by Lewis Hamilton critics after poor start at Ferrari

After the opening two races, Ferrari are level on points with Williams in fourth in the constructors’ championship. They were certainly expecting stronger results ahead of the races but they already find themselves 61 points behind leaders McLaren.

Some people have pointed to Hamilton’s performances being down to his age. The Brit suffered his lowest finish in 2024 and now at 40, many are wondering if his best is behind him.

SEASON	PODIUMS	SEASON	PODIUMS
2007	12	2016	17
2008	10	2017	13
2009	5	2018	17
2010	9	2019	17
2011	6	2020	14
2012	7	2021	17
2013	5	2022	9
2014	16	2023	6
2015	17	2024	5

Lewis Hamilton’s podiums by season

Vasseur hit back at Hamilton’s ‘rude’ critics, calling him ‘worn out’. Ultimately, he is still adjusting to the setup at Ferrari and will need time to be fully integrated.

Hamilton may have made the same Michael Schumacher realisation in that it will take time to ‘transform’ the team. The Brit still has a lot of work to do, including radio communication with race engineer Riccardo Adami – a clear weakness at the Australian Grand Prix.