Ferrari unconcerned by Hamilton’s “not fast anymore” remarks

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has zero considerations about Lewis Hamilton’s pace, regardless of the tough finish to the Method 1 season he’s having with Mercedes.

Hamilton has struggled to extract as a lot tempo out of the W15 automotive constantly this 12 months as his team-mate George Russell.

The seven-time champion additionally had a torrid time on the Qatar Grand Prix as he got here dwelling twelfth after a bounce begin, a puncture and a drive-through penalty for rushing within the pitlane.

Hamilton accepts that issues are usually not working, for causes that he can not clarify, as he admitted that the efficiency is solely not there in the intervening time.

On Friday in Qatar, he raised eyebrows when he mentioned: “I’m definitely not fast anymore.”

However whereas issues are usually not clicking with Mercedes proper now, his future employer Ferrari doesn’t see something to be alarmed about.

And its crew boss Vasseur, who has identified Hamilton for years, believes performances like his cost from tenth on the grid to complete second in Las Vegas spotlight simply how good he stays.

Requested if he was apprehensive about Hamilton’s remarks, Vasseur mentioned: “Under no circumstances. Take a look on the 50 laps that he did in Vegas.

“Beginning P10, ending on the gearbox of Russell, I am not apprehensive in any respect.”

Mercedes send-off

Hamilton is heading into his ultimate race weekend with Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, which is bound to be an emotional send-off.

Whereas outcomes could also be laborious to get in the intervening time, crew boss Toto Wolff says that the present challenges won’t cloud the recollections of the success their title-winning partnership produced since they got here collectively in 2013.

Talking about coping with the circumstances of this season, realizing Hamilton was leaving, Wolff mentioned: “To be sincere, I feel we have all of us collectively, Lewis and the crew, we have achieved a great job of that.

“When he took the choice at first of the season to go, we knew it was going to be a bumpy 12 months forward, and it’s extremely regular.

“He is aware of he’s going to go elsewhere. We all know our future lies with Kimi [Antonelli] after which to undergo the ups and downs, and nonetheless preserve it collectively between us, I feel that’s one thing we have now achieved.

“Now you see these very dangerous races. Clearly, he wears his coronary heart on the sleeve. You categorical your feelings and that is completely allowed. It is okay.

“However nothing goes to remove 12 unimaginable years with eight constructors’ and 6 drivers’ championships. And that’s what will likely be within the reminiscence.

“After subsequent Sunday, we will look again at this nice time frame relatively than a season of races that had been notably dangerous. We’ll stick with the great recollections.”

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