<\/p>\n
Vasseur commended Hamilton following the Briton\u2019s first victory for Ferrari, describing the drive as the result of both strategic execution and sustained effort within the team. Hamilton finished ahead of Mercedes\u2019 George Russell after executing a bold three-stop strategy that proved decisive.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good feeling,\u201d Vasseur said. \u201cHe was managing the situation very well \u2013 as soon as we were adjusting the strategy, he was pushing more or less. He was very outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vasseur emphasised that Hamilton\u2019s contribution extends beyond race day, pointing to consistent input and influence on the team\u2019s direction. \u201cI think that Lewis\u2019 approach was consistent from the beginning. He is fully committed, fully convinced, and he is pushing everybody,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hamilton narrowly missed pole position in qualifying but worked closely with engineers to adapt the race strategy. A key moment came during a Virtual Safety Car period, which allowed Ferrari to pit without losing track position and maintain the lead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vasseur acknowledged the role of strategy but stressed that improved overall performance was equally important. \u201cThe strategy went very well today\u2026 but it also went very well in the last couple of events when the pace was a bit less impressive,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He added that trust between the drivers and the pit wall was central to the team\u2019s progress. \u201cThe fact that we have this level of confidence between us is key for the future,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The victory marks Ferrari\u2019s first win since the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix and comes after a period of rebuilding and adjustment, including changes to Hamilton\u2019s race preparation and engineering setup.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite the breakthrough result, Vasseur urged caution as the season continues. \u201cWe also have to stay calm\u2026 it\u2019s not like last week we were nowhere and today we are World Champions,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vasseur said maintaining consistency will be critical heading into the next race. \u201cIt means that we need to keep the same approach in Austria as in Barcelona,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The win has also had an impact on the championship standings, with Hamilton closing the gap to Mercedes Driver Kimi Antonelli following the latter\u2019s retirement in the race.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vasseur described the result as a confidence boost for both the driver and the team, while cautioning against overreaction. \u201cFor sure, it\u2019s a huge push in terms of confidence for him this weekend. It will be a new start,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–F1\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37179,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[20],"class_list":["post-37178","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-sport","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has praised Lewis Hamilton\u2019s performance in Barcelona, highlighting both his race execution and leadership behind the scenes.","published_date":"","news_description":"Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has praised Lewis Hamilton\u2019s performance in Barcelona, highlighting both his race execution and leadership behind the scenes.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37180,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37178\/revisions\/37180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=37178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}