Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur hits back at Lewis Hamilton critics over George Russell deficit

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Lewis Hamilton heads into the summer break 34 points ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell. There’s been a significant turnaround in the span of just three races.

Russell claimed his second Formula 1 win, and Mercedes’ first since the end of 2022, when he triumphed in Austria last month. He put himself in a position to capitalise after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided in the battle for the lead.

That victory moved him onto 111 points, 26 ahead of Hamilton (85). And yet, it’s his teammate who enjoys a healthy advantage just a month later after a stunning 60-point swing.

Russell will feel somewhat aggrieved. He leads the qualifying head-to-head 10-4 this season and is also up 7-4 in the races where both drivers have been classified.

However, when Hamilton won the British Grand Prix, Russell retired with a water system issue. That virtually wiped out his margin in the standings.

The seven-time world champion then moved ahead for the first time all season in Budapest as he finished third and Russell clawed his way back to eighth after a shock Q1 exit. And in Belgium at the weekend, Hamilton inherited victory following the sister car’s disqualification.

Fred Vasseur points out that Lewis Hamilton has outscored George Russell

Speaking to Sky Italia, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur addressed Russell’s advantage over Hamilton in the head-to-head metrics. He’ll be welcoming the 39-year-old to Maranello next year.

He believes that the championship table demonstrates how ‘efficient’ a driver Hamilton is. It’s worth noting that he too has a DNF to his name this year, having retired from the Australian GP in March after an engine failure.

Last season, the two Mercedes stars finished dead-level in qualifying (11 apiece). But Hamilton finished five places and 59 points ahead in the standings.

“We certainly know the positive aspects of Lewis’ arrival, such as his great experience,” Vasseur said. “Everyone since the beginning of the season has said that Russell is faster than him, but at the moment he is the one who has brought more points to Mercedes. So in terms of efficiency I think he is a good point of reference.”

Where Damon Hill thinks Charles Leclerc will best Lewis Hamilton

Vasseur has witnessed a tight battle between his drivers since he took over at Ferrari at the start of the 2023 season. Charles Leclerc is just 15 points clear of Carlos Sainz as it stands, even though the Spaniard missed a race through illness.

Leclerc has had a slight edge in both qualifying and the race, but the margin is small on Saturday (8-5) and even smaller on Sundays (7-5). Still, Ferrari made one of the most ruthless decisions in recent memory by ousting Sainz, who’s now headed to Williams.

The match-up between Hamilton and Leclerc is one of the most hotly-anticipated in F1 history. The former is the most successful in the sport’s history, while Verstappen regards Leclerc as a future world champion.

Sky Sports F1 pundit Damon Hill has already made a prediction for the Ferrari battle. He suspects Leclerc may be quicker over one lap, but Hamilton’s experience will show on race day.