Hamilton ‘unlike Sainz’ during Ferrari's difficulties

      "He tends to have extreme reactions."

      Frederic Vasseur acknowledges that Lewis Hamilton's challenging start at Ferrari has been more difficult than anticipated. "When he came to Ferrari, we thought, perhaps naively, that he would manage everything easily," the Frenchman shared with Auto Motor und Sport. "He isn’t like Carlos Sainz, who switches teams every few years and is accustomed to the process. It took Lewis four or five races to acclimatize."

      Hamilton, 40, described himself as "useless" during the August break after a disappointing weekend in Budapest. However, Vasseur believes the criticism is overstated. "He often has extreme reactions," he noted. "At times, he's overly critical of the car and sometimes of himself. You need to calm him and point out that being just a tenth off the qualifying leader in Q2 isn’t a catastrophe. To me, it’s not a big deal."

      Nonetheless, not everyone shares this perspective. Former Ferrari driver Arturo Merzario expressed to La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I believe Hamilton's move to Maranello was more of a commercial strategy. From what I understand, 90 percent of the staff did not agree with this choice, and when a driver feels undervalued, he loses his drive."

      German commentator Christian Danner stated to Kolner Express: "Hamilton beating himself up and claiming he can't do anything anymore - that's something I've never encountered before. Retirement can't be dismissed as a possibility. However, he's a fighter, and I think he will remain."

      Ex-driver Ralf Schumacher, a frequent critic, remarked to Bild newspaper: "I see lots of drama - team criticisms and difficulties with the car. The car suits Leclerc, but it doesn’t for him. Perhaps he’s too old to adapt. Still, I don’t see him retiring mid-season."

      Ferrari's vice-chairman Piero Ferrari, the only living son of the founder Enzo Ferrari, defended the atmosphere at Maranello: "There is a very strong sense of belonging," he stated. "At Maranello, you’ll often see employees in uniform even after work, because being part of Ferrari holds significant value."