John Elkann won’t publicly make one Lewis Hamilton admission after criticising his 2025 Ferrari season

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton was the subject of a public takedown by president John Elkann after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both failed to score points during Sunday’s race after being caught up in various incidents.

Ferrari slipped to fourth in the constructors’ championship as a result, which could cost the team tens of millions of pounds if they fail to overtake Mercedes and Red Bull before the end of the season.

The team’s president, John Elkann, was instrumental in signing Hamilton from Mercedes last year.

Elkann privately admitted Hamilton was performing below the level he expected earlier in the season, and he’s still waiting to secure his first Ferrari podium.

Now, journalist Felix Gorner has shared that Elkann won’t publicly admit that Hamilton was a ‘bad investment’ despite publicly blaming him and Leclerc for Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 campaign.

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John Elkann won’t publicly admit that Lewis Hamilton was a ‘bad investment’ for Ferrari

Reporting in his column for Sport, Gorner explained: “It is extremely rare for Ferrari boss John Elkann to criticise everyone. A few weeks ago, he criticised the team’s performance and, of course, team principal Frederic Vasseur and his leadership skills. Now he is launching a frontal attack on both drivers.

“Both Hamilton and Leclerc are paid horrendous amounts of money. Leclerc also has a generous pension contract that will allow him to live the good life. The value is not right for either of them.

“The raw figures are appalling, hence Elkann’s sweeping attack. He defends his mechanics, who are predominantly Italian – a well-known Ferrari tactic. “Outsiders” like Briton Hamilton, Monegasque Leclerc, and Frenchman Vasseur are criticised.

“Fifth and sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship, with a car that experts say is very competitive, is poor!

“Hamilton’s downward spiral has been evident throughout the season, and now Leclerc is also stagnating, even though he was actually a promise for the future.

“The risk of an explosion at Ferrari is now very high, and team harmony is unlikely to improve. Elkann realises that signing Hamilton from Mercedes was a bad investment. But what CEO is willing to admit that?

“The conclusion: Ferrari remains true to itself and is once again tearing itself apart.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ralf Schumacher would replace Lewis Hamilton with Oliver Bearman if he were Ferrari chief

Hamilton’s contract is believed to be worth £60m-a-year and could run until the end of the 2027 campaign.

Only Max Verstappen is believed to be paid more than Hamilton among the drivers on the grid, which might explain Elkann’s frustration.

However, Ferrari are expected to earn millions in merchandise and sponsorship from Hamilton, which no other driver is likely to be able to match in terms of his popularity.

After his DNF in Sao Paulo, Ralf Schumacher suggested he would replace Hamilton with Oliver Bearman if he were in charge of Ferrari.

The Haas driver is having a great second half of the season, but needs time to be ready to step up into a top team.

The 2026 campaign will ultimately decide how Hamilton’s Ferrari legacy is seen by fans.

If Fred Vasseur’s team nail the upcoming regulation changes, then podiums and wins will be just around the corner, but if they’re as uncompetitive as this season, then it’ll be hard to see the seven-time world champion’s final move in Formula 1 as a success.