"Fred's the main reason I'm at Ferrari": Lewis Hamilton backs team boss admits reports of his job being in danger

Lewis Hamilton has backed Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur and made it clear that the Frenchman was the reason he's in the team. The F1 world's attention was first grabbed by a report from an Italian publication stating that the brand's senior management is not happy with the team's performance this season. If there weren't swift improvements to the car, it could lead to the team principal being axed from the program.

The report also stated that Hamilton has felt that he isn't being listened to at Ferrari and at the same time, his teammate Charles Leclerc is starting to lose confidence that the team could fight for titles. The rumors further intensified when other Italian publications also corroborated the same development that Fred Vasseur was on thin ice and needed results from the next few races.

The fact that Ferrari has had a pattern of doing something similar in the past with multiple team principals has also brought further credence to these reports. Lewis Hamilton was questioned about the reports of Vasseur's position being in danger at Ferrari to which the 7x F1 champion reaffirmed that the reason he joined the team was the Frenchman.

Fred Vasseur was Hamilton's boss when he was making his way through the junior categories, and the two go back decades in terms of their relationship. Talking to the media during the FIA press conference, Hamilton said:

"I was just made aware of it just before I got here, so I've not read the stories. It's definitely not nice to, to hear that there's stories like that that are out there. I love working with Fred. Fred's the main reason I'm in this team and I got the opportunity to be here."

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Lewis Hamilton's predecessor at Ferrari gives his take

Lewis Hamilton's predecessor at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz also gave his take on the reports of Fred Vasseur being in danger of losing his job. He blamed the media and put it down to the finger-pointing exercise where as soon as the results go south, someone has to be blamed. Sainz said (via MotorsportWeek):

"Same story as always, the moment that the results don’t click in Ferrari, there’s always finger-pointing by the media, and all this chaos happening. For me, it’s all about focusing on the process and delivering when it matters."

He added:

“But if you ask me, Fred, I have a great relationship with him. In the past, obviously, we went through a tough month where he didn’t want me and signed Lewis, but apart from that, we made peace about it, and I get on well, and I always rated him as a team principal and as a person.”

We're yet to hear what Fred Vasseur has to say on the matter but it will be interesting to see the kind of sway Lewis Hamilton has as he backs the team boss.