Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur has dismissed concerns about Lewis Hamilton's current form and mindset as the seven-time world champion prepares to join the Italian team in 2025.
Hamilton, 39, raised eyebrows in Qatar when he admitted, "I'm not fast anymore," and later asked if he could retire his still-functional Mercedes after making errors during the race.
Some commentators have speculated that Hamilton's remarks implied dissatisfaction with his equipment, potentially suggesting he is no longer receiving equal treatment to teammate George Russell.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff strongly refuted these claims, calling them "crazy, made-up conspiracy theories" fueled by the "toxic environment" of social media.
"It doesn't even bother me," said Wolff. "They're just idiots. They've probably never set foot in a racing car—maybe not even in a normal car."
However, respected voices like former F1 drivers Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson have suggested that Hamilton might be experiencing a natural decline as he nears 40.
Vasseur, who will pair Hamilton with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025, remains unconcerned.
"No, I'm not worried. Not at all," Vasseur told Sky Deutschland. "Just look at the 50 laps he did in Vegas—starting in P10 and finishing on Russell's gearbox. I'm not worried at all."
This weekend's Abu Dhabi GP marks Hamilton's final race for Mercedes, where he has achieved six of his seven world championships since joining in 2013.
Reflecting on his time with the German team, Hamilton downplayed the significance of recent struggles.
"I don't think we'll end on a high," he admitted. "But these last races have no impact on all the great things we have achieved together as a team.
"Racing is a rollercoaster of emotions. I have experienced great races in my life, but also bad ones. In the end, it's not that you fall down that counts, but how you get back up again, and we'll try that again in Abu Dhabi." body check tags ::
