Lewis Hamilton’s first win for Fred Vasseur’s staff did not are available in Barcelona on 14 June 2026. It got here greater than 20 years in the past in Components 3 Euro Collection.
Again then, the 20-year-old Hamilton received the opening spherical at Hockenheim driving for the Frenchman’s ASM staff, earlier than happening to dominate the season with 15 victories from 20 races. The next 12 months he moved as much as GP2, now with the newly fashioned ART Grand Prix undertaking led by Vasseur, and received one other title that helped safe his McLaren Components 1 drive for 2007.
When Lewis Hamilton as soon as once more turned a driver of a staff led by Vasseur, he was already a seven-time Components 1 world champion, essentially the most profitable driver within the historical past of the game and one of the crucial recognisable sporting figures on the earth.
He was already Sir Lewis Hamilton, in any case.
“We had superb success in F3, and in addition in GP2,” recalled Hamilton again within the winter of 2024 after signing his Ferrari contract, whereas nonetheless getting ready to finish his closing season with Mercedes. “That is actually the place the inspiration of our relationship began. We at all times remained in contact. I assumed that was going to be a tremendous staff supervisor at some stage and progress to F1, however on the time, he wasn’t all in favour of that.
“It was actually cool to see him step into the Alfa [Romeo] staff. Then when he received the job at Ferrari, I used to be simply so completely happy for him. I feel simply the celebrities aligned. I feel it actually would not have occurred with out him. So, I am actually grateful and actually excited concerning the work that he is doing there.”
But the Hamilton that Vasseur received at Ferrari was not the one many nonetheless thought to be “prime” Hamilton.
Forward of his first 12 months with the Scuderia, Lewis turned 40, and it is honest to say the ultimate couple of seasons with Mercedes weren’t his greatest. Sure, he received at Silverstone and inherited one other victory at Spa after George Russell’s disqualification, however over these two years it was the youthful Brit who got here out on high extra typically.
Lewis Hamilton received plenty of races for Frederic Vasseur’s groups 20 years in the past
Picture by: Lorenzo Bellanca / Motorsport Pictures
Maybe it wasn’t an excessive amount of of against the law to imagine Hamilton had handed his peak. He most likely had, anyway. It is simply that now plenty of observers could have to rethink the speed at which he is declining.
Would Hamilton, 10 years youthful – or maybe even 5 – have grabbed pole place in Barcelona as an alternative of lacking out by 0.064s? Probably. You will by no means be capable to reply that query. What final Sunday proved, nonetheless, is that he nonetheless has sufficient pace to ship a victory with a three-stop technique, chasing down two drivers in what has been the quickest automobile of 2026.
Final 12 months, although, all of it appeared doom and gloom. After a spark within the type of a dash win in China, there weren’t many moments to have a good time. Hamilton struggled with the automobile, could not match Charles Leclerc’s tempo and have become concerned in sufficient tense radio exchanges with Riccardo Adami to make Ferrari’s official line that there have been no tensions tough to imagine.
Vasseur was the one accusing the media of blowing the tales out of proportion based mostly on what was broadcast throughout races – but that is precisely what a staff principal is meant to do: defend his staff.
Be that as it might, Hamilton more and more resembled a terrific champion approaching the tip of his profession. Somewhat like Valentino Rossi in the course of the closing years of his MotoGP journey. Or Michael Schumacher throughout his Mercedes comeback. The uncooked pace gave the impression to be fading, and motivation typically goes hand in hand with it.
In 2025, it was tough to think about Hamilton would ever win a race with Ferrari
Picture by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
The honeymoon interval of becoming a member of the legendary staff lasted just a few months earlier than being changed by the routine of trying to find these lacking tenths of a second.
These tenths weren’t simple to seek out.
The proof appeared to level to 1 conclusion: Hamilton was just too outdated to actually give Ferrari what it wanted.
At the exact same time, he was placing strain on the staff.
It was at Spa final July that he spoke about calling conferences with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, CEO Benedetto Vigna and Vasseur. He revealed he had despatched paperwork outlining structural changes the staff wanted to make. He spoke about sitting down with chassis technical director Loic Serra and the heads of different departments, “speaking concerning the engine for subsequent 12 months, speaking concerning the entrance suspension, the rear suspension”. In regards to the “issues that I would like, points that I’ve with this automobile”.
For Vasseur, accommodating all of the modifications Hamilton was asking for most likely required greater than merely believing Lewis nonetheless had it. He wanted the staff to imagine it too.
As a result of, sure, these modifications have been being requested by a seven-time world champion and essentially the most profitable driver in Components 1 historical past. However they have been additionally being requested by a 40-year-old driver who could effectively have been previous his peak. And his first season with Ferrari did little to disprove that idea.
Carlo Santi was on the rostrum for Kimi Raikkonen’s closing Ferrari victory in Austin in 2018
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
Probably the most seen change this 12 months has maybe been the appointment of Carlo Santi as Hamilton’s race engineer.
Vasseur himself performed down the importance in his post-race media session on Sunday.
“I do not need to put Carlo in entrance or no matter, I feel it is an enormous effort from everyone,” he shrugged. “Carlo is a part of the method and the match between Carlo and Lewis is an effective one. However, you understand, now we have to react as a gaggle within the good and the unhealthy moments.
“When it is a unhealthy second, I am making an attempt to guard the staff and to take the blame for myself. In the present day, I do not need to put a division or somebody in entrance. If we’re getting outcomes, it is as a result of collectively we’re doing job.”
And that is comprehensible.
Highlighting Santi’s position in Hamilton’s revival would most likely put strain on the engineer himself whereas downplaying the contribution of others. As a supervisor, Vasseur would not want that.
However the reality it was the 52-year-old from Verona standing alongside Lewis on the rostrum after his first Ferrari victory speaks volumes.
Santi’s earlier podium in Components 1 got here on 21 October 2018, when he joined Kimi Raikkonen on the podium after the Finn’s closing victory for Ferrari. From 2019 onwards, he moved right into a manufacturing unit position, supporting the race staff from Maranello, earlier than returning trackside this season initially to help Hamilton whereas Ferrari looked for a everlasting alternative for Adami.
With the best way issues are going, and with Lewis already calling Santi his “Italian Bono” even earlier than Barcelona, he’s unlikely to be returning to the manufacturing unit any time quickly.
Lewis Hamilton and his “Italian Bono” Carlo Santi have a good time victory in Barcelona
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
Switching away from Brembo, given Ferrari’s long-standing relationship with the corporate, most likely wasn’t simple both. However Hamilton clearly likes one thing concerning the Carbon Industrie package deal, and that was seemingly on his record of requests too.
There have been probably dozens of different, much less seen issues – as he just lately put it – that he had “begged” Vasseur to accommodate.
Now, Lewis is thanking his outdated pal for doing precisely that.
“Properly, firstly, I would not be on this staff with out Fred,” he mentioned on Sunday in Barcelona throughout his first press convention as a Ferrari winner. “Fred is the one which made it occur, of which I am extremely grateful to him for. I feel final 12 months was actually, actually robust for him to take care of.
“Me coming was an enormous shock to the system as a result of I’m very, very vocal. If I see one thing that I do not assume is true, or I push very, very onerous. That is on the core of who I’m and I am relentless with it. And I feel it isn’t simple to be on the receiving finish of that if you’re additionally juggling an entire organisation, you understand, and a tradition that in its personal is about in a sure approach.
“And likewise, you understand, he is French in an Italian tradition. It was loads for him to juggle and I feel very, very robust as a result of clearly he would do media as effectively. However he continued to imagine, continued to be pal, continued to be a terrific team-mate and an ally and actually supportive.
Lewis Hamilton – now a Ferrari race winner
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
“And, you understand, finally, he actually listened on the finish and I needed to actually ask, actually ask for a few of the modifications. And he enabled them to occur, which I am endlessly grateful for, as a result of this [victory] would not have occurred with out these modifications. So huge, huge thanks to him.”
When these phrases have been put to Vasseur himself simply minutes later, he as soon as once more downplayed his position.
“I’ve zero advantage on this,” he insisted. “It is extra Lewis himself, I feel. He was capable of come again after a tricky second, a tricky journey, robust weekends. He was capable of come again, to do a full reset and to proceed to push, to proceed to return to the manufacturing unit on Tuesday morning. This dedication is a large assist. Coming from a world champion, it is much more, I might say. It was additionally an enormous motivation for everyone on the manufacturing unit.”
And that is comprehensible too. As a result of highlighting his personal position in Hamilton’s revival is not actually what supervisor does.
But Barcelona’s victory will need to have been an enormous reduction for him as effectively.
As a result of bringing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari was a simple choice.
Persevering with to imagine in a 40-year-old driver who could have already got been previous his peak most likely wasn’t.
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