Ferrari says reactions to Lewis Hamilton’s results are overblown

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has said the constant overreaction to Lewis Hamilton's performances must end as he looks to his performances this season.

Hamilton's initial track experience in the Ferrari car did not live up to the expectations that followed his recent switch, given the uneven start to his career with the Italian team.

The seven-time world champion and his teammate Charles Leclerc are currently faced with Ferrari's unpredictable car that has yet to live up to the promises of its predecessor.

This proved to be an obstacle for Hamilton, who apart from winning the sprint pole position and winning the print race in China, is having more difficulty adjusting to the limited SF-25 car than Leclerc.

Hamilton's problems appeared to be prolonged in his first home appearance for Ferrari at Imola last weekend, when he crashed out in the second qualifying round for the second consecutive time.

But after the seven-time world champion fought his way to fourth place and announced that he had teamed up with the SF-25 car for the first time in the Emilio Romagna Grand Prix, he added that he had come very close to scoring Ferrari's first podium.

"China was great, but I've always loved those races where you fight from behind and work your way up," said Hamilton. "That's how I started as a kid. It's always a better feeling than starting first and finishing first. But definitely, an absolutely incredible race and so many positives to take away from it."

"The strategy today was fantastic; they made great decisions. I felt really in tune with the car in China and the second time it was today. I felt that real synergy, and I think the set-up was great. We made a little bit of a performance improvement for the race itself," added the Briton.

Vasseur reacts

As a result of Hamilton's performance at Imola, the Ferrari boss made it clear again that he trusts his driver. When asked if his opinion of Hamilton's adjustment depends on his performance, Vasseur replied:

"I think we have to stop that."

"Each driver works on himself, works with the team, tries to develop something, tries to do a better job, and it's not like on Saturday night he's not ready, he's not in good shape with the car, and on Sunday he's a wizard and everything works perfectly - we have to stay calm," he explains.

"Of course we have to improve the communication, the understanding of the process, the tools, the software and everything else. But honestly, he did a great job in China, and today [the Imola race] he did a great job - step by step, we will get there."