What Ferrari are privately saying about John Elkann’s attack on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

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Ferrari chairman John Elkann telling Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to “focus on driving” after their bleak trip to the 2025 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix caused quite a stir.

The American-born Italian stunned many on Monday when he addressed the Scuderia’s woe during the 2025 F1 season at an event in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Ferrari started this year with their eyes on fighting for a title, but their hopes were over before the summer.

Ferrari now find themselves sat fourth in the 2025 F1 constructors’ championship with three rounds remaining, having fallen from second place following last Sunday’s Sao Paulo GP. The pride of Italy endured their second double DNF of the campaign within only 38 laps in Brazil.

Hamilton stated that he is living a “nightmare” at Ferrari after retiring from the Sao Paulo GP due to damage he suffered from crashing into Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, as well. Leclerc was an innocent victim of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri crashing into Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari are privately claiming John Elkann’s attack was designed to encourage the team

Hamilton is still yet to score a single Grand Prix podium finish through his first 21 rounds as a Ferrari driver, having moved to Maranello at the start of this year. Leclerc has taken all seven of their rostrums, but Ferrari are the only one of F1’s top four teams without a win this year.

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Elkann phoned Fred Vasseur after Ferrari’s double DNF in the Sao Paulo GP, and speaking to the Scuderia’s team principal is thought to have potentially helped spark his outburst aimed primarily at Hamilton. But Ferrari are privately offering a different reason for Elkann’s words.

BBC Sport’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson has reported on the Chequered Flag podcast that he is “being briefed” by Ferrari that Elkann’s comments were intended to be a “spur to drive people on”. Ferrari have a 36-point deficit to Mercedes for P2 in the teams’ standings.

Ferrari’s 2025 car is the cause of Lewis Hamilton’s ‘nightmare’ that sparked John Elkann’s outburst

Vasseur believed ahead of the 2025 F1 season that Ferrari would battle for the constructors’ title, having fallen just 14 points shy of McLaren for the 2024 title. But McLaren retained the teams’ title with six rounds to spare and they have 394 more points with three rounds to go.

A double retirement in the Sao Paulo GP also saw Ferrari drop 36 points behind Mercedes in second place and four behind Red Bull – who have relied on Max Verstappen for 341 of their 366 points so far – in third. Leclerc has earned 214 points and Hamilton has 148 this season.

It is only natural, then, that Hamilton would feel disheartened that he is yet to score a Grand Prix podium over 21 rounds with Ferrari when the Scuderia have failed to fix their car’s flaws to fight for the prizes that he wants. But Elkann chose to direct the blame at Ferrari’s drivers.