Lewis Hamilton revealed he ‘begged’ boss Fred Vasseur for Ferrari to make “certain changes” ahead of this year’s Formula 1 campaign, after taking a third podium for the team.
Hamilton was second in the Monaco Grand Prix last week, matching his best result for the Scuderia, coming at the previous round in Canada, and adding to his maiden podium in China earlier in the year.
With George Russell finishing out of the points, along with teammate Charles Leclerc crashing out, the result puts Hamilton second in the World Championship, albeit 68 points adrift of title leader, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Whilst the Maranello-based squad has not been able to match Mercedes for out-and-out pace, there is no doubt 2026 has been a vast improvement on 2025, and Hamilton, speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, after the race, now believes that a maiden win in Ferrari race “couldn’t be closer.”
“I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that,” he added. “I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred.”
Lewis Hamilton reveals support of ‘awesome’ Vasseur
Hamilton and Vasseur, of course, go back a long way, the Frenchman being his team boss back in his title-winning GP2 campaign in 2006, the year before he became an F1 driver.
Prior to the start of the season, Hamilton’s own backroom team was shaken up with the departure of race engineer, Riccardo Adami, and was replaced by former Kimi Raikkonen engineer, Carlo Santi, as incoming engineer Cedric Michel-Grosjean continues his onboarding process.
And the 41-year-old revealed that, in the off-season, he had pleaded with Vasseur for alterations, and is happy with what he has been given.
“Fred has been awesome in supporting me,” he said. “Last year was really tough for both of us, and [I have been] begging him for certain changes, and he pulled through.
“He did those and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them. It’s still very early days in the season, so we just have to keep chasing. It’s actually easier to chase than it is to defend, I would say.
“So, whilst these guys are very quick and they’re an amazing team, we’re going to keep pushing, keep chasing, and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.”
Hamilton is without a doubt showing Ferrari his best form since joining the team, but will face a tougher test as the SF-26’s power unit will show its inferiority on the powerful Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend.
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