Ferrari's Elkann tells drivers to "focus on driving and talk less" after devastating Brazilian Grand Prix

 

A call for internal unity and focused performance from his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. He suggests they must “focus on driving and talk less” aiming to shift the team’s focus away from public complaints as well as toward achieving the target of second place in the Constructors’ Championship after a disappointing double retirement at the Brazilian Grand Prix. John Elkann’s public criticism, coming from the highest level of Ferrari ownership is highly significantly for several reasons. As it is extremely rare for a chairman, especially one who personally brokered the deal to bring Hamilton to Ferrari to issue a direct public reprimand to his star drivers. This action immediately creates a tense atmosphere and raises questions about internal team harmony just weeks before the end of the season. The comments evoke Ferrari’s historical culture where criticism of the team was often met with sharp discipline. The message reminders Hamilton and Leclerc that discretion plus unwavering loyalty are expected traits of a Ferrari driver, particularly as they head into a crucial period of new regulations in 2026. Elkann emphasised that “getting second place is not impossible.” The public push is a direct attempt to inject a sense of urgency and absolute focus into the team to claw back points from Mercedes and Red Bull in the remaining races securing the more lucrative second place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.

The criticism was delivered immediately after the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where both Hamilton and Leclerc retired due to separate incidents that resulted in car damage. Hamilton in his first season with the team has struggled significantly, failing to secure a single podium finish in 21 races and describing his experience as a “nightmare.” His public comments about the car and the team’s struggle have been frequent. Leclerc has also been vocal about the car’s performance issues, describing it as “very slow” after the sprint qualifying in Brazil and has not been shy in airing frustrations about missed opportunities or the lack of progress.

Elkann said at an Olympics sponsor event: “We definitely have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less, because we still have important races ahead of us and getting second place is not impossible.”

A direct reprimand aimed at curbing the drivers’ tendency to make public comments about the car’s struggles or internal issues, a practice that is historically discouraged within the conservative culture of Ferrari. It implies that their external commentary is a distraction from their primary role of extracting maximum performance from the car.

By explicitly praising the mechanics and the engineers while singling out the drivers, Elkann deflects pressure away from Team Principal Fred Vasseur in addition to the critical technical departments. This suggests a deliberate strategy to shield the 2026 car development process from media scrutiny as well as internal division. The public nature of the rebuke risks alienating the two star drivers. Hamilton, who had already called his season a “nightmare” and Leclerc, the long term face of the franchise, both posted defiant messages of commitment along with “unity” shortly afterward. Suggests a crack in the united front Elkann was trying to create, setting up potential internal as they head into the 2026 regulations change.

The public rebuke risks alienating Hamilton and Leclerc, the team’s most valuable assets. Leclerc, the long term project plus Hamilton, the incoming legend, may view the criticism as an unfair deflection of blame from the car’s underlying flaws. This could lead to a breakdown of trust between the drivers as well as senior management. The criticism puts Vasseur in a difficult position. While Elkann’s statement may have been intended to support Vasseur by deflecting blame from the technical side, it simultaneously undermines Vasseur’s direct authority to manage his drivers and the team’s public message, raising questions about his control.

📸 Photo by Lee Chandler via Pixabay