Fred Vasseur believes that Lewis Hamilton's self-critical comments in the media 'made things worse' for the Brit, who is currently navigating his toughest-ever F1 season. The seven-time world champion called himself 'useless' after qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and told Ferrari to 'change driver' if they want to see better results. After 14 Grands Prix with his new team, Hamilton is still hunting for his first podium finish, while team-mate Charles Leclerc sits 42 points ahead of him in the Drivers' Championship standings with five top-three finishes to his name.
Despite the grim statistical outlook, Hamilton's form hasn't been disastrous. Instead, a combination of fine margins and expected teething issues with his new squad has been exacerbated by miserable weekends in Belgium and Hungary before the summer break.
Often, the 40-year-old shouldered the blame in front of the TV cameras when things went wrong. Assessing the attitude of his marquee signing, Vasseur explained that Hamilton's open and emotional approach to the media is making his struggles seem worse than they are.
Asked how he can turn things around for the Brit, he told Auto Motor und Sport: "Stay calm. Build on the fact that he's already taken the first step. Don't let things like Budapest get him down. Lewis is very self-critical. He's always extreme in his outbursts.
"Sometimes he's too harsh on the car, sometimes on himself. He wants to get the most out of himself and everyone in the team. You have to calm him down and explain to him that in Q2, he was only a tenth behind the driver who later took pole position.
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"That's not a big deal. The message he sends out only makes things worse. He's usually only that extreme with the press. By the time he gets to the briefing room, he's usually calmed down again. That's just his way.
"For me, it's not a drama. He demands a lot. From others, but also from himself. I can live with that. Nico Hulkenberg was the same when he drove for me in Formula Three. He demanded an enormous amount from the team. But he was also on the mat every morning at 6:30 a.m."
Hamilton and Ferrari still have plenty to play for after the summer break. In the battle for second place in the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes are only 24 points behind the Prancing Horse, and on a personal level, the seven-time world champion will be desperate to end the year with at least one podium finish to his name.
