‘He’s very demanding’ – Vasseur insists Hamilton 'frustrated but not demotivated' after 'useless' comments

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has come to the defence of Lewis Hamilton, suggesting the seven-time World Champion is "frustrated but not demotivated" after comments made during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

Hamilton has endured a difficult spell with Ferrari since joining the team at the start of the season, and that run continued in Budapest as the Briton failed to advance beyond Q2 in Qualifying.

This was in comparison to team mate Charles Leclerc, who took pole position, and in the media pen after Saturday's session Hamilton claimed “I’m useless, absolutely useless", while suggesting that Ferrari "probably need to change driver".

Hamilton eventually finished Sunday's race in P12, his first time finishing outside the points at the Hungaroring, where he has won eight times previously, with Vasseur sympathetic towards his driver.

"I don't need to motivate him, honestly," said Vasseur following the Grand Prix. "He's frustrated but not demotivated, it's a completely different story.

"Again, I can perfectly understand the situation and you can, sometimes you are making comments on what the driver is saying to the car, but if you put the microphone on some other sportsman in football and so on, I'm not sure that it would be much better.

"Sometimes they are making [rash] comments, even when they jump out of the car.

"I can understand the frustration, but we are all frustrated and sometimes if you ask me, I can't say this, I will go to the stewards.

"But sometimes just after the race, or just after the Quali, you are very disappointed and the reaction, the first reaction is harsh, but we all know that we are pushing in the same direction."

Vasseur, who penned a new multi-year contract to stay at Ferrari in previous days, admitted that while Hamilton was being hard on himself and the team, these were the qualities which had yielded so much success for him in the past.

"Yes, he's demanding, but I think it's also why he is seven-time World Champion, that he is demanding with the team, with the car, with the engineers, with the mechanics, with myself also, but first of all he is very demanding with himself," he said.

Vasseur was not the only high-profile paddock figure to come to the defence of Hamilton during the weekend, as Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicalli also voiced his opinion in support of the Ferrari driver.

“First of all, Lewis is a jewel, he is an incredible athlete, so no matter if it is a difficult moment, he will react, and I’m pretty sure he will show the reason why he is here,” noted Domenicali to Sky Sports F1.

“He wants to achieve his eighth title, and he will triumph again. So, stay with Lewis and he will do a great race, and be very, very strong after the summer [break].”