Ferrari chairman John Elkann has urged drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to concentrate on driving and talk less, after a difficult Sao Paulo weekend that saw the team suffer a double retirement. The result left Ferrari fourth in the constructors’ standings, 36 points adrift of Mercedes and four behind Red Bull, with three grands prix and a sprint still to run.
Speaking at an Olympics sponsorship event in Rome, Elkann praised Ferrari’s mechanics and engineers but said other areas of the organisation were not performing to the required standard. He emphasised the need for the drivers to stay focused as the team pursues second place in the constructors’ championship, noting that unity delivered success when Ferrari won the World Endurance Championship title in Bahrain.
His remarks underline growing frustration inside the team. Ferrari came close to the constructors’ crown last year but has not yet won a grand prix this season; Elkann’s comments were framed as a constructive push for improvement.
McLaren clinched the constructors’ title this season with six races to spare. The championship ranking has significant financial implications, with each step nearer the top worth roughly $10m compared with the position below.
Leclerc described Sao Paulo on social media as a very difficult weekend after Ferrari collected only six points overall, the tally coming from the sprint where he and Hamilton finished fifth and seventh. He said it was disappointing to return home with almost no points at a critical moment in the fight for second place and stressed that unity will be essential in the closing rounds.
Hamilton, who has called his first season at Ferrari a nightmare, won the sprint race in China earlier in the year but has yet to reach a grand prix podium in 2026. Leclerc, who had qualified third in Sao Paulo, was eliminated from the race when he was involved in a collision with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli after Antonelli came together with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Leclerc has recorded seven podiums this season, with his best finishes being second in Monaco and Mexico.