F1 legend Lewis Hamilton tells Ferrari boss to 'calm down' in tense exchange

Hamilton, Vasseur, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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Lewis Hamilton tells Ferrari boss to 'calm down' in tense exchange

Lewis Hamilton suffered a difficult Miami GP

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 6 May 2025 17:00

Lewis Hamilton revealed after the Miami Grand Prix that he told Fred Vasseur to 'calm down', after the Frenchman approached him about his rather sarcastic team radio messages.

During the race, Hamilton asked his team to swap positions around between himself and team-mate Charles Leclerc so that he could chase after Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on faster tyres than Leclerc.

While the team did eventually swap the two drivers, Hamilton was surprised by how long it took, sarcastically taking to team radio and saying: "Have a tea break while you're at it," referring to how long it had taken to make the decision.

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Later on in the race, the team decided to swap the two cars back, with Leclerc finishing seventh and Hamilton one place further back in eighth. When reminded by engineer Riccardo Adami the gap to Carlos Sainz behind, Hamilton cheekily responded: "Do you want me to let him through as well?"

All of this has fed the narrative of Hamilton being frustrated with both his own performances, and the performance of the team's 2025 car, with his move to the Maranello outfit not getting off to the best of starts.

"Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and was like, 'dude, calm down. Don't be so sensitive.'

"I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things others have said in the past.

"Some of it was sarcasm. Look, you've got to understand we're under a huge amount of pressure within the car. You're never going to get the most peaceful messages coming through in the heat of the battle. It was fine."

Ferrari drop further back

With their seventh and eight-placed finishes, Ferrari now appear to be more in a battle for fourth in the constructors' championship with Williams, than being able to challenge the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull further up.

The arrival of seven-time world champion Hamilton was supposed to boost them on to championship success, while Hamilton was hoping to challenge for an eighth world title.

However, six race weekends gone, and Hamilton is down in seventh in the drivers' championship, and has not achieved a grand prix result better than fifth.

Vasseur said after the race on Hamilton's team radio outburst: "My concern is not that he has to speak with TV. It's that we need to be clear between us that, in this situation, he has to understand what was my feeling on the pit wall.

"He can trust me, I can trust him and the same with Charles, and when I have to take a decision, I'm taking a decision for Ferrari."

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Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Charles Leclerc Miami Grand Prix Kimi Antonelli Fred Vasseur