Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur likened success in the cauldron of Formula One on Friday to “cooking.”

Vasseur’s team has made a sluggish start to 2025, Lewis Hamilton’s debut win in Scuderia Red in the sprint in China aside.

The iconic Italian marque, without a driver’s title since Kimi Raikkonen won in 2007, is struggling to take the fight to series leaders McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc’s pair of fourths in Japan and Bahrain their best results.

In the constructors’ battle, Ferrari are fourth, lagging 94 points behind leaders McLaren after four rounds of the 24-race season.

Vasseur said there was no quick fix with the teams so close in performance after the period of Red Bull domination.

“The ingredients are all there, but it’s like cooking. You have to put the ingredients together at the right stage,” said the Frenchman.

Vasseur, with his easy good humor and lively intelligence, has proved an assured and measured leader of the scuderia.

“You have to stay calm,” said the 56-year-old.

“It’s not a drama. This is only the fifth race.”

“I think it’s true for us, but it’s true for everybody.”

‘Amazing driver’

“Today, the front of the pack is so tight that a small mistake can cost five or six positions.”

“It means that we need to stay calm and do the analysis.”

Hamilton, only naturally, is taking time to get “bedded in” at his new employers after 12 years with Mercedes.

The seven-time champion has spoken openly about getting to grips with Ferrari’s SF-25 car and its different character to the Silver Arrows.

“My focus this weekend is driving style, really getting on top of the circuit and getting into a rhythm,” said Hamilton, who arrives in Saudi Arabia after an encouraging fifth in Bahrain last weekend.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do to adapt the way I approach corners, but it’s not impossible, it might just take a little bit of time, but hopefully not too long.”

One man who has no doubt that Hamilton will succeed in his move to Ferrari is his former teammate George Russell.

“We saw it in China, second race of the season, on pole in the sprint, wins the race comfortably,” said Russell, who has impressively stepped up into Hamilton’s previous role as team leader at Mercedes.

“I know what he’s capable of, and it’s not easy going into a new team and the competition is tough, but he’s an amazing driver and I’m sure, when things start to click, as they did in China, we’ll see more of that magic,” Russell added.