Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has admitted the Formula 1 team were recovering from a 'trauma' upon his arrival two years ago.

The Prancing Horse , and ultimately finished as to and Red Bull. Ferrari had invested in their vehicle amid an overhaul in the rules but saw issues with reliability cost them.

Succeeding Mattia Binotto, team principal Vasseur has attempted to pick up the pieces. Following his arrival in 2023, the 56-year-old has moulded a different team however, and has joined his racing line-up alongside Charles Leclerc.

Vasseur revealed one of his major jobs was to restore confidence at Ferrari. The team boss believes he was able to rely on pre-existing relationships to quickly solve the issue.

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“They had started the project (2022) six months before anyone else, and they experienced their runner-up spot as a failure,” Vasseur told . “There was a real trauma and we had to restore calm and serenity. I didn’t want a team run by fear, and restoring confidence was the absolute priority.

“It was established very quickly. I already knew quite a few people at Ferrari and it was easy to make contact. It’s not as if I was starting from scratch.

“2022 had been a great season in terms of results, but it had been seen as a missed opportunity. In 2022, Ferrari showed an advantage that it was unable to capitalise on. That was source of a lot of frustration within the team.”

Vasseur's team is no longer traumatised and is now feeling optimistic ahead of a new season. The Frenchman is not getting carried away until the new car's performance is truly tested for the first time however.

“Over the past six months, we have worked very hard on this car [the SF-25] and have made a good improvement,” Vasseur said. “But we will have to wait until we are all on track in Melbourne to understand where we are.

“We want to fight for both championships, as we know we have two drivers who can do it, and the mood in the team is very positive. We will continue to work hard to be ready in two weeks’ time for the start of the season.”

Hamilton hopes that he can take advantage of the good feeling to , as he searches for an eighth championship. "Just driving for Ferrari is a huge honour but they already have an incredible legacy," he said.

"It's not that they need necessarily another championship, because they have so many already. But I know that's what they exist to do, to work towards, and I know that the Tifosi are dying for that. I wouldn't be able to find the words to be able to express just how special that would be - that's what we work towards."