Will Buxton Hopes Fred Vasseur Taps Into Lewis Hamilton’s Best Version for His “Greatest Comeback”

With the 2025 season right around the horizon, Lewis Hamilton isn’t just embarking on an iconic journey with Ferrari. He is also reuniting with Frederic Vasseur — the man who oversaw the Briton’s rookie GP2 (now F2) season, as team principal of ART Grand Prix, in 2006 that saw him clinch the title.

Looking back on Hamilton‘s epic GP2 triumph, F1 commentator, Will Buxton credits the Frenchman for unleashing the raw speed and prowess of the former Mercedes driver. Buxton believes if Vasseur is able to do the same for the 40-year-old at Ferrari, F1 fans are in for a really special season in 2025 and beyond.

“If he can help Lewis [Hamilton] tap that version of himself, it’s going to be the greatest comeback that anyone has ever seen,” said Buxton whilst speaking to RACER in an exclusive interview.

Time is a funny thing. It will tell us if this assessment of Mr. Hamilton reconnecting with Fred Vasseur at Ferrari was in the ballpark or not.

There continues to be whispers of Russell’s side of the garage being prioritized or getting preferential treatment as early as 2022… pic.twitter.com/txSyn6ACa9

— The Rainmaker (@WheelsandSticks) January 11, 2025

As things stand, Hamilton finds himself as statistically the most successful F1 driver in the history of the sport. Yet, Buxton terms the potential of the Ferrari-Hamilton combination as a comeback. That’s because, in the twilight years of his Mercedes career, the #44 driver has struggled to leave an impact.

Since his title defeat at the hands of Max Verstappen in 2021, the Briton has managed to win only twice. And the gremlins of his 2024 season have divided the paddock as to whether he still has what it takes to win the coveted drivers’ world championship once again.

Is Hamilton capable of winning with Ferrari?

Last season, Hamilton displayed both, a lack of one-lap pace and a drop in mentality that saw him rue about the car’s issues and his underperformance in the final few races with the Silver Arrows. This has polarized the paddock, where many believe that the Briton has overstayed his welcome in the sport.

But Vasseur’s mission in bringing Hamilton to the Scuderia has always been clear — he wants the seven-time world champion to gun for that elusive eighth title and in turn break Ferrari’s 17-year-old title drought.

That would require Hamilton to tap into his former self. As Buxton explains, he needs to regain the form and mentality of his time at GP2. Nevertheless, even turning back the years to the start of the tubro-hybrid era of the sport would be enough for the former Mercedes driver — where he won six titles in seven years.

But if the Hamilton of 2022 through to 2024 sticks by with Ferrari, his iconic alliance with the Maranello-based team is at risk of going down as one of the biggest failures in all of motorsport.