F1 News: Vasseur ‘not worried’ that Hamilton may be washed-up

(GMM) Ferrari F1 team boss Frederic Vasseur insists he is “not worried” about the current form and attitude of Ferrari recruit Lewis Hamilton.

The seven time world champion admitted in Qatar that he is “not fast anymore”, and after making errors in the race he even asked if he could retire the functional Mercedes.

Some think Hamilton, 39, may actually have been implying that he is no longer being given a car that is as good as the one driven by teammate George Russell.

Team boss Toto Wolff says those “crazy, made-up conspiracy theories” were hatched in the “toxic environment” of social media. “It doesn’t even bother me,” said the Mercedes chief. “They’re just idiots.

“They’ve probably never set foot in a racing car – maybe not even in a normal car.”

Respected former F1 drivers like Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson, however, commented in Qatar that Hamilton may simply be on a competitive downwards-slope as he approaches 40.

That would be very bad news for Vasseur, who has signed Hamilton to pair him with Charles Leclerc from 2025 and beyond.

“No, I’m not worried. Not at all,” the Frenchman told Sky Deutschland.

“Just look at the 50 laps he did in Vegas – starting in P10, finishing on Russell’s gearbox. I’m not worried at all,” Vasseur added.

Abu Dhabi this weekend will be Hamilton’s final race for Mercedes, having won six of his seven titles for the German marque since joining in 2013.

Hamilton predicted: “I don’t think we’ll end on a high.

“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.”