Ferrari missed out on the constructors’ championship by just 14 points to McLaren in 2024, and Vasseur told BBC Sport that “to be champion” was how they would judge whether it had been a successful year.
The Frenchman said having the driver many believe to be the fastest over one lap in Leclerc, and Hamilton as the most successful of all time was “a good start and a good problem – they have a good collaboration and a huge mutual respect and it is part of the performance of the team”.
Both Hamilton and Leclerc hope they can be the driver to deliver Ferrari’s first drivers’ title since 2007.
Hamilton added: “What’s key is we never want to get ahead of ourselves. We don’t know where everyone else is. We know all the other teams will be doing a great job as well, so we’re just keeping focused on taking one step at a time.
“I am still acclimatising to the Ferrari car. It is a lot different to what I have lived with for the last few years in this generation of cars, but also controls and everything.
“Over the last 10 years, I have been used to a certain way of working and I am still adapting to those things.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said Hamilton had “brought a new energy to the team” since joining.
Leclerc said the car had given him no bad surprises on Wednesday and added he felt Hamilton was joining the team “at the right time” because of the changes Vasseur had made in the last two years.
“Fred has a very big strength at keeping the emotional level of the team at a good level,” Leclerc said. “We have been so much more solid on that in the past years.
“Lewis joining the team has been a big boost and has been amazing in so many areas. I feel like the team is very calm and clear in what is the direction to work in and not being affected by everything going on in the team.
“We had a good car but needed more performance, and that is where we focused on this car. We focused on small things in every area.”
Hamilton said of his new team-mate: “Charles is very embedded in this team. He is very fast and I am completely aware of that.
“It is not going to be easy to beat him, but we will work together and have some great races, I hope.”
