Ferrari reveals the reason for signing Lewis Hamilton instead of Max Verstappen for 2025

Fred Vasseur finally spoke up on the reason for picking Lewis Hamilton instead of Max Verstappen to replace Carlos Sainz.

Ferrari reveals the reason for signing Lewis Hamilton instead of Max Verstappen for 2025

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Fredric Vassuer (via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton has gained a lot of experience in his career and won seven world championships. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is a young talent who is performing at his prime. His exceptional driving skills have won him three championships in the last three seasons. On the other hand, Hamilton did not even taste victory for two years before signing with Ferrari. Recently Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur talked about why Ferrari did not go for Verstappen, given his dominance, if they had to switch drivers.

Fred Vasseur explained that even though Max Verstappen has a long contract with Red Bull. Ferrari always believed Lewis Hamilton as their right choice for the team. Vasseur highlighted several reasons for this decision. First, Hamilton has a lot of experience in Formula 1, which is valuable for any team. Second, he already has a good relationship with Charles Leclerc which can help them work well together.

Beyond Max’s long contract with Red Bull, Lewis is ideal for Ferrari. For his experience, for the relationship he has with Charles, for his composure.
Fred Vasseur told corriere.it
YouTube video

Vasseur also highlighted that Lewis Hamilton’s calm and composed nature under pressure is an important quality for Ferrari. Verstappen easily gets frustrated over simple things such as the race Hungary where he collided with Hamilton from the back. Therefore, the 56-year-old wasn’t clearly looking for such demeanor.

Fred Vasseur asserts Ferrari to not get carried away by the emotions

Fred Vasseur mentioned that Ferrari is very close to McLaren and Mercedes in terms of speed that is just two-tenths of a second away. This small gap gives them confidence that more wins are possible because it shows they are competitive. However, Vasseur also pointed out that it is important not to get too emotional or over excited about this. He believed that staying calm and focused is key, as getting carried away by emotions can lead to mistakes.

Fred Vasseur
Fred Vasseur (via IMAGO)
Sure, When you're two tenths behind you can't help but expect them. The important thing is not to get carried away by emotion.
Fred Vasseur stated.

Certainly, while Fred asseur expects more victories, he knows the team must keep their emotions in check to perform their best. Fans are hoping that Ferrari will perform well in Saturday’s qualifying session, as this would provide a strong starting position for Sunday’s race.

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