The Ferrari president’s remarks received wide coverage in the newspapers.
Reactions on the newsstands to the president’s words
Yesterday, John Elkann made very harsh statements regarding the Ferrari drivers competing in F1: “Winning the Endurance Championship, both as Constructors and as drivers, was an extraordinary emotion on Saturday night. It is a beautiful demonstration that when Ferrari is united and everyone works together, great things can be achieved. In Brazil, instead, it was a huge disappointment and if we look at F1, we see that on one side there are our mechanics with the excellent work done, for example at the pit stops, and if we look at our engineers, there is no doubt that the car has improved. But if we look at the rest, it is not up to standard: we have drivers who need to focus on driving and speak less. We still have important races ahead and it is not impossible to achieve second place in the Constructors’ Championship. And this is the most important message coming from Bahrain: it shows that when Ferrari is a team, we win.”
The Ferrari president’s scolding could not fail to attract media attention, and today’s press roundup is quite extensive. Corriere della Sera emphasizes that Elkann’s criticisms are primarily directed at Lewis Hamilton: “Regarding Charles – writes Daniele Sparisci – some of his comments (bringing Antonelli into the blame for the contact, or other radio outbursts) may have annoyed, but it is Lewis who is the main recipient of the presidential message. The honeymoon was already over; now it seems like a story of disillusionment after a long-standing bond. Strongly wanted by Elkann, the seven-time world champion was welcomed like a king in Maranello. Exor’s CEO is disappointed by his performance and certain attitudes. Never on the podium, Hamilton has delivered a flood of statements that often overflow. From internal dossiers to criticism of the FIA for penalties. In Brazil, he went hard on the stewards, calling them ‘a joke,’ after being penalized 5 seconds for colliding with Colapinto, controversies from which Ferrari stays away.”
Well-known Italian journalist Leo Turrini on Il Resto del Carlino points out that, regardless of a few careless words from the drivers, John Elkann’s intervention is as reckless as it is unfounded: “Hamilton has been a flop so far, but what car has he had at his disposal? And Leclerc, damn, has been waiting for a decent car since high school. Then, if someone tells me: ‘ah, but take Verstappen,’ I won’t back down, you know what I think of Super Max. But like this, cold, after the Brazilian GP, come on, it doesn’t hold. John Elkann, contrary to what many think, cares about Ferrari in every Grand Prix. But if Gianni Agnelli’s grandson really thinks the problem at Ferrari is the talkative drivers, well, at the very least he needs to change his advisors, consultants, and managers. Because trust me: if after Schumacher and Raikkonen Ferrari hasn’t lifted a finger, it’s not Alonso’s, Vettel’s, Leclerc’s, or Hamilton’s fault. And if this isn’t understood, then we will never win.”
John Elkann’s statements inevitably raise questions about the future of one or both of the drivers currently under contract with Ferrari, which is by far the team that spends the most on salaries (about 70 million euros in total compared to 52 for Red Bull, 33 for McLaren, and 15 for Mercedes, set to double in 2026 considering Russell’s doubled pay). “Elkann’s analysis leaves no room for interpretation – reads the column in Corriere dello Sport by Fulvio Solms – clearly something is happening in the corridors of Maranello.”
Leave a Reply