Ferrari’s Elkann tells drivers to “focus on driving and talk less” after devastating Brazilian Grand Prix

Image by Niklas Du via Unsplash

By Charlie Gardner

Internal unity and focused performance from drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc was the call from John Elkann.  

He suggests they must “focus on driving and talk less”. The aim is to shift the team’s focus away from public complaints and toward achieving the target of second place in the Constructors’ Championship after a disappointing double retirement at the Brazilian Grand Prix.  

Elkann’s public criticism coming from the highest level of Ferrari ownership is highly significant 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 team harmony only weeks before the end of the season. 

John Elkann and Fred Vasseur share a chat via Getty Images

The criticism was delivered immediately after the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where both Hamilton and Leclerc retired from the race due to separate incidents that resulted in car damage. Hamilton in his first season with Ferrari has struggled significantly. Failing to secure a single podium finish in 21 races and describing his experience as a “nightmare.”  

This is not his first public outburst about the car and the team at Ferrari. 

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

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc share a ride via Getty Images

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 technicals departments. This suggests a deliberate strategy to shield the 2026 car development process from media scrutiny as well as internal division. 

The public rebuke risks alienating Hamilton and Leclerc, the team’s two most valuable assets. Leclerc, the long-term project plus Hamilton, the legend of the sport, 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 with senior management.