staff principal says he’s unbothered by criticism from his drivers within the media pen after disappointing races.
and endured a irritating season with the Scuderia, with the staff failing to win a race for the primary time since 2021 and ending a distant fourth within the constructors’ championship.
Commercial
Hamilton, particularly, was , with the 40-year-old Briton failing to safe a podium for the primary time in 19 seasons.
Ferrari chairman John Elkann final month inspired Hamilton and Leclerc to however Vasseur, who signed a brand new contract in July regardless of Ferrari’s shortcomings in 2025, believes the 2 drivers merely wish to push the staff ahead internally.
“I do not take note of the response within the TV pen,” stated Vasseur after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the place Leclerc completed in fourth and Hamilton in eighth.
“Crucial for me is to have a man coming again to us and pushing the staff to do a greater job and to work all collectively to attempt to get higher outcomes.
Commercial
“The truth that they’re emotional typically on the radio and it depends upon the blokes… all of you already know Charles. [He] is at all times a bit important with himself first and with the staff and with all people, however it’s at all times with a constructive dynamic.
“I do know Charles for 10 years, 16 years and he was at all times like this. He was at all times complaining about all the pieces. However it’s a constructive dynamic that we’re there simply to do a greater job.
“It would not matter in case you are P4, P3, P1. The DNA is to do a greater job. I settle for this completely and a very powerful [thing] for me is that they maintain the identical method to the debriefing. To attempt to get a greater automobile, a greater staff, a greater all the pieces and it is like this that we are going to enhance.”
Leclerc did end on the rostrum seven instances all through the season however, like Hamilton, a win by no means regarded on the playing cards for the Scuderia amid dominance from McLaren and Purple Bull. That being stated, Mercedes additionally claimed two victories with George Russell.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton didn’t win a race all season (Getty)
“I’d be destroyed if I had the drivers telling me that we’re doing a great job,” Vasseur added. “The abstract of the season for a driver is to seek out the place we will enhance. At all times that I am not there to have [drivers telling me] ‘we’re doing a great job on this and this and this’.
Commercial
“However their DNA and my DNA is to attempt to push the staff to do a greater job. It means they’ve to come back to us, Charles and Lewis, when it isn’t Lewis, it is Charles, it is each of them. They’ve to come back to us and to push the staff on the restrict. In all places, on each single space and for positive, we will enhance and we will enhance in all places.
“However final 12 months, we had been combating till the final nook and the response was precisely the identical. And Charles stated, ‘OK guys, we now have to enhance on each single space. The simulator, the set-up, the aero[dynamics]’.
“That is the DNA of their job and the DNA of our sport. I am not shocked in any respect when they’re coming to me and say, Fred, we now have to enhance on this, this, this, this, this as a result of it is what we’re asking them to do.”
The 2026 F1 season, with new engine and chassis rules which threaten to shake up the pecking order, begins on 8 March in Australia.
