Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s remarks after the Brazilian Grand Prix continue to trigger reactions across the F1 paddock. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has now joined a growing chorus of criticism, warning that the Scuderia leadership risks damaging its relationship with its drivers.
Elkann’s claim that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc “need to focus on driving and talk less” came at a tense moment for the team after its second double retirement of the season at Interlagos and slipped to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. The backlash was swift.
Villeneuve gave a blunt response while speaking to BetVictor.
“I didn’t see comments that were detrimental to the team coming from the drivers. So, it’s the chairman who’s done this,” he said, via Crash.Net. “But this came just after winning the WEC. I guess he was pinpointing how amazing the team in WEC did, compared to F1. But it’s a different ball game.
“It was a bit shocking, but it seems to be the Ferrari way when you look at the past. Most drivers have broken their teeth there, most drivers with personality. It’s a strange environment.”
The trend Jacques Villeneuve pointed to is a familiar one. Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015 and finished runner-up in 2017 and 2018, but left the team without a title after seasons filled with tension.
Fernando Alonso had two near-misses in 2012 and 2013 before his relationship with the team deteriorated. Even Lewis Hamilton, who arrived with the expectation of being Ferrari’s next title contender, has struggled to find form. The team has not won a championship since Kimi Räikkönen secured the 2007 crown.
Jenson Button said that Elkann should “lead by example,” while ex-Minardi boss Giancarlo Minardi argued that the chairman’s approach was not like “a good family man.” Villeneuve also pushed back on the idea that Brazil exposed driver shortcomings.
“Brazil just turned out bad, not because there was a lack of pace or because the drivers were doing bad,” he said. “I think that came out a little bit of left field, purely linked to winning the WEC.”
Ferrari’s WEC program celebrated a major victory in Bahrain the same weekend, underscoring a sharp contrast with the F1 side of the operation. That difference, Villeneuve suggested, may have fed Elkann’s frustration.
Hamilton’s Brazil GP ended early after he made contact with Carlos Sainz, picked up heavy floor damage, and retired on Lap 37. Leclerc’s day ended earlier. Fighting for second into Turn 1, Kimi Antonelli hit him, and his broken front-left suspension forced him to retire at Turn 4. The result dropped Ferrari behind Mercedes and left it only four points ahead of Red Bull with three rounds left.
Jacques Villeneuve doubles down on Ferrari team management: “We’ve seen what happened with Prost, Mansell”
Ferrari’s season as a whole only strengthens Jacques Villeneuve’s concerns. The team has yet to win a race this year, Lewis Hamilton has not stood on the podium, and its hold on third in the Constructors’ Championship is under threat from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. For Villeneuve, Elkann’s public criticism resembles past moments when the Scuderia leadership clashed with its star drivers.
“You also take drivers that can think, who can help move the team forward. They’re not little robots,” he added in the aforementioned interview. “It’s part of sports. You have emotions, and they go both ways. I’m sure that’s what happened with the chairman as well. But I don’t see how those comments can be helpful.”
Villeneuve warned that internal tension can grow quickly at Maranello.
“We’ve seen what happened with Prost, Mansell… almost every driver with a personality that has been in Ferrari. It’s a slippery road. Hopefully that’s where it stops.”
Villeneuve believed that the team’s energy was fragile after years without a title and heightened expectations surrounding Hamilton’s arrival. When those pressures spill into the public eye, he said, the situation can “get out of control” and create deeper fractures between the team and its drivers.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
