F1 in the UK: Ferrari president John Elkann criticized as press defends Lewis Hamilton

F1 in the UK: Ferrari president John Elkann criticized as press defends Lewis Hamilton. British media react strongly to Ferrari president John Elkann’s comments.

“Perhaps John should set a better example.” This social media post by Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, criticizing John Elkann’s remarks about Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, ignited debate over the Ferrari president’s words. The reaction was particularly strong in the UK, where John Elkann’s comments were seen as a direct attack, especially on the home favorite, Lewis Hamilton.

The harshest criticism came from The Times: “Lewis Hamilton has won seven Drivers’ World Championships in the period when Ferrari, Formula 1’s most prestigious team, has not managed to win a single one. It would therefore seem logical to listen to his suggestions about what might not be working. Or not. Because apparently, Ferrari president John Elkann’s solution is to tell his two drivers to ‘talk less’ and focus on performance.” The article also recalled the meetings Lewis Hamilton held this season with Ferrari’s management. Lewis explained: “I sat down with John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna, the Ferrari CEO, and Fred Vasseur, the team principal, in several meetings. I also spoke with our head of design, Loic Serra, about next year’s car, focusing on the front and rear ends, just to make sure the car is right.” The Times questioned, “Is this the attitude of a distracted driver?” A driver who, since 2008—the start of Ferrari’s drought in Drivers’ Championships—has collected seven titles and 101 Grand Prix wins.

According to The Guardian, John Elkann’s admonition is linked to Lewis Hamilton’s critical comments, in which he described his first season at Ferrari as “a nightmare.” The Telegraph highlighted Elkann’s blunt invitation to “talk less” following the Interlagos debacle. The article emphasized the shock of a Ferrari executive publicly rebuking his own drivers, noting that Hamilton has yet to reach the podium this season. The tone was generally critical of Ferrari management, describing a Maranello “boss” chastising Lewis Hamilton, an unusual fracture aired in public media.

The website The Race described the criticism as “surprising,” noting that John Elkann implicitly questioned internal team unity and calling it “dramatic” that Ferrari would point fingers at its own drivers. BBC Sport reported that the Ferrari president publicly criticized both Hamilton and Leclerc for their post-race comments in Brazil, urging them to set aside words and focus on the track. The tone in this case was neutral and factual, simply reporting John Elkann’s key statements. Other commentators pointed out that Ferrari has not won titles for years under John Elkann’s leadership, suggesting that the problem may not lie solely with the drivers. Overall, UK specialist sites expressed a critical stance toward John Elkann, describing significant “fallout” from his remarks and suggesting that before demanding silence from the drivers, Ferrari management should reflect on its own responsibilities.