Vasseur speaks on the 'committed' Tifosi as Hamilton takes part in his first Italian race with Ferrari

08:42, 17 May

byOlly Darcy

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has said Lewis Hamilton has a "huge opportunity" as he takes part in his first race in Italy as a Ferrari driver in front of the Tifosi at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

After making the huge move to Ferrari from Mercedes for the 2025 season, hundreds of thousands of fans flocked to Maranello to first catch a glimpse of the seven-time world champion at the Scuderia.

Now, as the 40-year-old prepares for the race around the iconic Imola circuit, the adoring Ferrari fans have been gathering in huge groups to see the Brit, a palpable feeling throughout the paddock.

Hamilton has struggled since moving to Ferrari, unable to finish higher than P5 in any Grand Prix so far this season

Vassuer excited, but nothing changes into the weekend

For Ferrari, their start to 2025 has been a difficult one, only able to collect 94 points from the first six races of the season, with Hamilton having 41 of those, with a P1 and P3 in the sprint races in China and Miami the only finishes above P5 the Brit has had.

However, coming into the first European race of the season, and the first of two Italian races, an excited Vasseur knows there is a sense of exhilaration in the air, even though nothing will change in the approach from the Scuderia.

"For sure, we want to have the same approach this weekend as any other one because the motivation is always the same," the Frenchman stated.

"But we can also see – even from the garage or from the factory – the tifosi in front of us, and the fact that they are all mega motivated, committed to Formula 1 and the project.

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"And they can be sure that we will push until the end to get the best, to do the best. We are all convinced of this. It’s not absolutely an issue," continued Vasseur.

The raw emotion and passion that the Tifosi have towards Ferrari is felt by anyone who has worked there, with Vasseur explaining that when McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was a mechanic at the Italian team.

"I think Andrea was in the same position in the past. You can feel it from – I told you before – from the factory, the week before, you already have a lot of people around the factory. It was like this all week. It was like this yesterday in the fan forum, as you said. Let’s take it as extra motivation and the positive side of this."

Vasseur concluded by then talking about the first race Hamilton has had in front of the adoring Tifosi.

"My personal feeling on Lewis’ position today is that he’s taking it as a huge opportunity – I don’t want to say a dream – but it’s a huge opportunity if you think about this: to race in front of this enthusiasm and honesty. We are all taking it like this."