Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss responds to Ferrari star's 'now or never' warning

Vasseur and Hamilton during interviews — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss responds to Ferrari star's 'now or never' warning

Ferrari must improve in 2026.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 16 December 2025 19:42

Lewis Hamilton's boss and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has responded to remarks from Charles Leclerc claiming it is 'now or never' for the team.

The 2025 season has been tumultuous for Ferrari with not only their performance suffering on track, but also being blighted by internal conflicts after chairman John Elkann criticised both Hamilton and Leclerc.

What was meant to be a fairytale switch for Hamilton has instead turned into a nightmare, with the the 2025 campaign marking his first season without a grand prix podium in his 18-year career.

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A fight for the title feels like a faraway prospect for Ferrari, and when Leclerc was asked about it at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he issued a 'now or never' statement.

"Next year will be a crucial year. Honestly, I think the whole team is hugely motivated for next year, because it's such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of," Hamilton's team-mate said.

"And it's now or never, so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot, because, it's important for the four years after. Maybe not in the first three or four races, but by race six or seven, I think we'll have a good idea of who are the teams that will be dominating for the four years after."

Vasseur responds to Leclerc's final warning

Though Hamilton is new to the struggle of being a Ferrari driver, Leclerc has sacrificed the best years of his career with the Scuderia, and if next year follows the same pattern as 2025, his longevity with the team could be called into question.

When Leclerc's 'now or never' comment was put to team principal Vasseur however, the boss was unconcerned about his driver's loyalty.

“Honestly, I think Charles, if you ever looked last year for sure, when you are going to the TV pen, and you’re asking him after the session, are you happy with the session when it’s P2 or are you happy when it’s P6? It’s not the same Charles, for sure," Vasseur explained.

“But if you ask him the day after, 'what do you want to do with the team?', I think the approach is always the same. It’s always constructive, to try to do better. Even if I’m P1, I have exactly the same approach with the team on the Monday morning, when we are doing the debrief to know and to understand where we can do better.”

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Fred Vasseur