Ferrari boss John Elkann said drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc should “concentrate on driving and talk less”, and hinted that a lack of unity could contribute to the team’s poor results.
Hamilton and Leclerc suffered early retirement during Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and both spoke openly about their and the team’s struggles this season.
Hamilton, the most successful Formula 1 driver ever, has not reached a single podium since joining Ferrari at the beginning of the year and described his first season as a “nightmare” after the race at Interlagos.
Elkann issued a plea to his drivers on Monday, citing Ferrari’s improvement elsewhere this season in pit lane and on the track.
“Brazil was a big disappointment,” Elkann said during a special event for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, the next Winter Olympics.
“If we look at the Formula 1 championship, we can say that on the one hand we have our mechanics, who actually win the championship thanks to their performance and everything they did in the pit stops.
“If we look at our engineers, there is no doubt that the car has improved. If we look at the rest, it is not up to par.
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He added: “We certainly have drivers, and it is important for them to focus on driving and talk less, because we still have important races ahead of us and it is not impossible to get second place.”
Elkann then said that Ferrari’s success in the World Endurance Championship – winning the constructors’ and drivers’ titles – showed that “when Ferrari is a team, we win”.
He added: “Winning as a constructor and driver is beautiful proof that when Ferrari is united, when everyone is together, you can achieve great things.”
Ferrari ranks fourth in the Formula 1 team standings after Sunday’s race, 36 points behind Mercedes, which is in second place.
There are three races remaining in the 2025 season, in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
