Lewis Hamilton gets new boss as Ferrari release Austrian GP statement

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur will miss this Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix due to personal reasons with his deputy Jerome d’Ambrosio taking charge as Charles Leclerc lines up in second

Ferrari will have a new face calling the shots at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix with Jerome d’Ambrosio stepping up to replace Fred Vasseur. D’Ambrosio serves as the deputy team principal but will be the man in the hot seat at the Red Bull Ring.

Vasseur would usually oversee race days but the Italian team have put out a statement explaining that he will not be present in Spielberg. A team statement read: “Fred will not be at the track today, because he has had to return home for personal reasons. Deputy Team Principal, Jerome d’Ambrosio will stand in for him.”

The 39-year-old Belgian previously raced in Formula 1 for the likes of Lotus back in 2011 and 2012. He’s since retired and has become a senior figure within Ferrari. As well as his current role he is also the head of the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Now he will be tasked with masterminding the team’s first race win of the season. Other that their sprint victory in China several months ago the Italian team have not taken the top step of the podium but will have Charles Leclerc lining up in second with Lewis Hamilton back in fourth

It gives them the opportunity to fight with the two McLarens. Lando Norris in on pole position with championship leader Oscar Piastri back in third. Ferrari are currently third in the teams’ standings, behind McLaren and Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton has faced difficulties adjusting to his new team, with his best finish so far being a fourth place at Imola and no podiums yet. In contrast, Charles Leclerc has shown stronger form, securing two third-place finishes and a second place at his home Grand Prix in Monaco. After some encouraging upgrades introduced in Austria, Leclerc expressed optimism about the team’s direction.

He shared his excitement, saying it had been a long time since he started from the front row. Acknowledging the challenges of the season, he credited the team’s relentless effort and the new components for improving their competitiveness. Confident about race day, he believes their car typically performs better in races than in qualifying and hopes to challenge McLaren more.

Hamilton, on the other hand, praised the team’s operations during qualifying, describing it as their most efficient day yet. He highlighted the team’s excellent handling of timing, traffic updates, and track positioning, calling the execution “world-class.”