“Calm down, don't be so sensitive”: Lewis Hamilton calls for team principal Fred Vasseur to remain calm following Miami Grand Prix slow call by Ferrari
TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 9, 2025, 08.40 PM IST
Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton has explained the furious radio exchange that emerged during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix as his anger over Ferrari's pit wall erupted while they dilly-dallied over allowing him past team-mate Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the remarks were made in the "heat of the moment" and stressed the emotional burden of racing under pressure. Lewis Hamilton clashes with Ferrari pit wall over delayed team orders
Lewis Hamilton, competing in just his fifth race for Scuderia Ferrari, found himself caught in a tactical mess at the Miami Grand Prix as the team stalled on letting him overtake Charles Leclerc. The 40-year-old, beginning from 12th on the grid, could move up the order due to a timely virtual safety car, which enabled him to pit with minimal loss of time. On fresh and quicker medium tyres, Lewis Hamilton rapidly closed in on Charles Leclerc and asked to move ahead to pursue sixth-placed Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
Ferrari first instructed both drivers to maintain position, prompting a chain of irate radio messages from Hamilton. “Have a tea break while you're at it, come on!” he jibed in mock annoyance, expressing his frustration with the delay. When Ferrari finally permitted him to overtake Leclerc, Hamilton believed that the delay had sucked the optimum performance out of his tyres.
Even though there was sarcasm on air, the British driver insisted his actions were motivated by a wish to race at the top level and berated Ferrari's slow decision-making, which he thinks cost him precious race time.Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton engage in post-race discussion
Post-race, Lewis Hamilton explained there were no attacks on the personal level in what he said and reported that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur came to visit him to discuss the matter. “Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘Dude, calm down. Don't be so sensitive.’ I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things other people have said in the past. Some of it was sarcasm,” Lewis Hamilton said. “You've got to understand, we're under a huge amount of pressure in the cars; you're never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of the battle.”
Looking ahead: Ferrari’s make-or-break stretch begins
Ferrari has precious little time to recharge before travelling to Imola, where pressure from home will be at a fever pitch. Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that better days are ahead, saying, “I was just like, ‘Come on, guys. I want to win’. I've still got that fire in my belly. I could feel a little bit of it coming out there, and I'm not going to apologise for being a fighter, I'm not going to apologise for still wanting it. I know everyone in the team does too. I truly believe that when we fix some of the problems we have with the car, we'll be back in the fight with Mercedes, with the Red Bulls. It just can't come quick enough. We'll try something different at the next race; we'll keep working on our processes. I look forward to a time when maybe I can fight for a podium; that would be nice.”“I can understand the frustration of the guys in the cars but in the end it was well executed because Lewis was behind Charles, with a softer compound, we let him go and as per our internal rules in the team, we swapped back at the end,” FredVasseur told Sky Sports F1 post-race. “We gave the chance to Lewis to go in front of Charles because it was impossible to overtake between them if we don’t let them go and it was an opportunity for Lewis to catch Antonelli. I think we did a good job.”
Also read: Lewis Hamilton's net worth in 2025: From the racetrack to real estate
Whether that breakthrough comes at Imola or further down the line remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Hamilton's fire is not yet dying out.
Lewis Hamilton clashes with Ferrari pit wall over delayed team orders
Lewis Hamilton, competing in just his fifth race for Scuderia Ferrari, found himself caught in a tactical mess at the Miami Grand Prix as the team stalled on letting him overtake Charles Leclerc. The 40-year-old, beginning from 12th on the grid, could move up the order due to a timely virtual safety car, which enabled him to pit with minimal loss of time. On fresh and quicker medium tyres, Lewis Hamilton rapidly closed in on Charles Leclerc and asked to move ahead to pursue sixth-placed Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes. Ferrari first instructed both drivers to maintain position, prompting a chain of irate radio messages from Hamilton. “Have a tea break while you're at it, come on!” he jibed in mock annoyance, expressing his frustration with the delay. When Ferrari finally permitted him to overtake Leclerc, Hamilton believed that the delay had sucked the optimum performance out of his tyres.
Even though there was sarcasm on air, the British driver insisted his actions were motivated by a wish to race at the top level and berated Ferrari's slow decision-making, which he thinks cost him precious race time.
Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton engage in post-race discussion
Post-race, Lewis Hamilton explained there were no attacks on the personal level in what he said and reported that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur came to visit him to discuss the matter. “Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘Dude, calm down. Don't be so sensitive.’ I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things other people have said in the past. Some of it was sarcasm,” Lewis Hamilton said. “You've got to understand, we're under a huge amount of pressure in the cars; you're never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of the battle.”Looking ahead: Ferrari’s make-or-break stretch begins
Ferrari has precious little time to recharge before travelling to Imola, where pressure from home will be at a fever pitch. Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that better days are ahead, saying, “I was just like, ‘Come on, guys. I want to win’. I've still got that fire in my belly. I could feel a little bit of it coming out there, and I'm not going to apologise for being a fighter, I'm not going to apologise for still wanting it. I know everyone in the team does too. I truly believe that when we fix some of the problems we have with the car, we'll be back in the fight with Mercedes, with the Red Bulls. It just can't come quick enough. We'll try something different at the next race; we'll keep working on our processes. I look forward to a time when maybe I can fight for a podium; that would be nice.”“I can understand the frustration of the guys in the cars but in the end it was well executed because Lewis was behind Charles, with a softer compound, we let him go and as per our internal rules in the team, we swapped back at the end,” FredVasseur told Sky Sports F1 post-race. “We gave the chance to Lewis to go in front of Charles because it was impossible to overtake between them if we don’t let them go and it was an opportunity for Lewis to catch Antonelli. I think we did a good job.” Also read: Lewis Hamilton's net worth in 2025: From the racetrack to real estate
Whether that breakthrough comes at Imola or further down the line remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Hamilton's fire is not yet dying out.