Lewis Hamilton has given his backing to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, believing the Frenchman "is the person to take us to the top" despite a slow start in 2025. 

Ferrari are second in the constructors' championship after nine races of the season, scoring three podiums, all of which have come from Charles Leclerc. 

Hamilton, who won the sprint race in China back in March, saw his highest finish in a race come at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where he crossed the line in fourth. 

The seven-time world champion has continued to adapt at Ferrari following his blockbuster move from Mercedes, with some of those problems arising again in Barcelona. 

Hamilton finished sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix and afterwards said he had "no idea why it was so bad" and that it was his "worst race (for Ferrari), balance-wise."

Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, a race Hamilton has won seven times in his career, the Briton was quick to jump to the defence of Vasseur. 

"I love working with Fred. Fred's the main reason I'm in this team and got the opportunity to be here, which I'm forever grateful for," Hamilton said. 

"We're in this together. We're working hard in the background. Things aren't perfect, but I am here to work with the team but also with Fred.

"I want Fred here. I believe he is the person to take us to the top."

Fitting in just fine pic.twitter.com/rXqpw8kBnb

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 12, 2025

Hamilton also described reports in two Italian newspapers that Ferrari were considering replacing Vasseur as "nonsense".

"Most people don't know what's going on in the background," Hamilton said. "That's not part of the discussion."

He added: "I don't think that's on the cards as far as I'm aware and it's certainly not something I would be supportive of.

"Embedding new people, whether it's a driver or engineers or people who run an organisation, it takes time to adjust and the impact can be significant.

"That is not part of the discussion. I am here to win with Fred and he has my full support. I have just started with Ferrari and I am here for several years.

"There is no question of where my head is at and what I am working towards achieving with this team. There are zero doubts."

After joining Ferrari in 2023, Vasseur led the Scuderia to their closest challenge to lifting their first constructors' title since 2008 last season. 

Ferrari finished 16 points behind McLaren, and were expected to be close this year. But Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris' displays have the British team 197 points clear.

Rise & shine pic.twitter.com/1QOCzkphbR

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 12, 2025

Hamilton has struggled in his first races with the team, and has been a little behind Leclerc. He is one place and 23 points behind the Monegasque in the drivers' championship.

"It's been a whirlwind of a year. Everything outside the race track is going amazing, and I am working as hard as I can to make sure that's reflected in the results," he added. 

"We need to bring more performance to the car. We have had one upgrade in Bahrain. Hopefully soon we will have another.

"The car I am racing right now is not a car I have had input into developing and evolving over the past four years.

"I am driving a car Charles has been part of developing. It has its challenges but I am enjoying that challenge."