John Elkann shocked the Formula 1 community with his sharp remarks about the performances of Ferrari’s lead drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, this season. Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, where both Ferrari cars failed to finish and scored no points, the chairman of the luxury automotive giant openly criticized his drivers. Elkann emphasized that Leclerc and Hamilton should concentrate more on driving and less on talking, suggesting that Ferrari’s engineers and mechanics were performing at the highest level.
The comments immediately sparked a reaction among F1 fans, many of whom defended Lewis Hamilton, pointing to his inconsistent performances this season as context for why he was being singled out.
Tony Kanaan calls out Elkann, urges focus on Ferrari’s real problems
On a recent episode of Drive to Wynn, host Justin Bell welcomed Tony Kanaan, team principal of Arrow McLaren’s IndyCar team, to discuss the situation. Kanaan, a close friend of former Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, offered his perspective on Elkann’s critique. The Brazilian, who once shared helmet designs with Barrichello during major racing events in 2006, argued that Ferrari’s legacy and culture always take precedence over individual drivers.
Kanaan explained that Ferrari’s structure inherently prioritizes the team over personal agendas, citing examples from the careers of Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Barrichello himself. According to him, the respect and adaptation required should come primarily from the drivers toward Ferrari, unless one is an exceptional case like Michael Schumacher. He noted that drivers’ frustrations often stem from needing to voice concerns in a system that discourages open criticism, which can affect their performance. Kanaan suggested that Elkann’s comments from Brazil—urging drivers to “talk less to perform better”—demonstrated a lack of awareness regarding the actual challenges within the team.
Lewis Hamilton reflects on the pressure of succeeding at Ferrari
The situation echoes past struggles faced by F1 champions at Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton previously explained that his caution in handling team dynamics stemmed from witnessing other champions struggle to succeed with the iconic Italian constructor. Fernando Alonso’s reflections on Ferrari from 2014 remain relevant, highlighting the enduring difficulties drivers face at the team. Ferrari continues to grapple with the longest championship drought in its 75-year history, reinforcing the notion that the challenges lie far beyond individual driver performances.
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