Ferrari chairman John Elkann has asked Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to ‘talk less and focus on driving’ after the team’s Brazilian Grand Prix disaster. He gave the example of the cohesiveness in Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship team, which won the 2025 title in Bahrain on Saturday, and asked the Scuderia’s F1 drivers to follow suit.
At Interlagos on Sunday, both drivers DNFed after sustaining damage in different incidents. Charles Leclerc was the team’s first retirement after a safety car restart on lap 6. As he went three-wide into Turn 1 with Oscar Piastri and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a collision between those two drivers ricocheted the latter into Leclerc, whose front left tire got punctured, and he had to limp to a stop by the side of the track.
Lewis Hamilton retired his car on lap 39 of 71 for damage picked up from two separate incidents with Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto on the opening lap. Both Ferrari drivers were downbeat after the race, and each one voiced their frustration with the misfortune.
However, John Elkann seemed more upset with Ferrari’s recent lack of competitiveness in F1. Comparing the team’s fortunes in the WEC and F1, he said (via AutoRacer):
“Ferrari wins when it is cohesive. This is what the result in the WEC taught us. When everyone is together, great things can be achieved. Brazil was a huge disappointment. In Formula 1, we have mechanics who are always first in making pit stops. The engineers work to improve the car. The rest is not up to par.”
“We have drivers who it is important that they concentrate on driving, that they talk less, and that we have important races ahead of us, and it is not impossible to get second place. This is the most important message that comes from Bahrain – when Ferrari is a team, we win,” Elkann added.
Ferrari’s double DNF in Brazil allowed Mercedes and Red Bull to pass them in the constructors’ championship, and it dropped from second to fourth.
Lewis Hamilton laments ‘nightmare’ season with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton pulled no punches in describing the bittersweet feeling that driving for Ferrari has left in his mouth in 2025. Until this year, the seven-time F1 champion had secured at least five podiums in each season of his career, but has now gone 21 races with the Scuderia without one.
After the Brazilian GP, one of the closest races to his heart, Hamilton, who was also frustrated with the five-second penalty he got for the Colapinto incident, expressed his feelings, saying (via ESPN):
“This is a nightmare, and I’ve been living it for a while. The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of results that we’ve had, the ups and downs, it is challenging. This weekend has been disastrous and disappointing for everyone. I am trying to keep my head above water and remain positive.”
Ahead of the Brazilian GP, Lewis Hamilton emphasized that his sole end-goal for 2025 was to ensure Ferrari held onto second in the constructors’ championship. Unfortunately, Mercedes, which was trailing them by one point, overtook them in the standings after a double podium in the Sprint Race, and extended the lead to 36 points after a 2-4 result in the feature race.
Edited by Yash Kotak
