Ferrari chairman John Elkann has publicly called out drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, urging them to focus more on driving and less on airing frustrations. With Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 season and recent double retirement at Sao Paulo, Elkann hints that a lack of team unity is holding the Scuderia back from success.
Ferrari’s usually measured chairman John Elkann broke his silence after a disastrous São Paulo Grand Prix that saw both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc forced to retire early, marking another rough weekend for the Italian team. Speaking at a press event in Rome, Elkann made it clear his patience is wearing thin.
“It is certainly important that our drivers focus on driving and talk less,” Elkann said bluntly. He pointed to Ferrari’s strong mechanics and improved car performance but made it obvious the rest of the team isn’t hitting the mark. “There are still important races left, and second place in the constructors’ standings is still possible.”
Elkann didn’t simply talk strategy he hit a nerve about internal cohesion. He referenced Ferrari’s recent success in endurance racing as an example of what harmony can achieve. “When Ferrari is a team, we win,” he emphasized, signaling that personal agendas must take a backseat to collective goals.
Hamilton’s rough first Ferrari season has been marred by mechanical issues, strategic slip-ups, and public criticisms of the car. Leclerc, meanwhile, has been frustrated by reliability woes and bad luck. Their growing voices, once seen as passionate calls for improvement, have now become a distraction in Elkann’s eyes.
Ferrari’s slide from second to fourth in the constructors’ championship has raised alarm bells in Maranello. With just a handful of races to go, Elkann wants his drivers united and dialed in ... less drama, more racing.
The message was clear: Ferrari’s legacy is too big for internal bickering. Hamilton and Leclerc must put the red uniform first and remember the team’s collective success comes before individual narratives. The season’s endgame now hinges on whether they can heed that call and reignite Ferrari’s fading fire.