Ferrari president John Elkann once again made headlines — and not for the right reasons. While he took aim at Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, urging them to “talk less and think more about Ferrari,” he also attempted to praise the team’s mechanics, only to make a rather awkward mistake that quickly drew attention.
Elkann’s remarks came in the aftermath of the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Ferrari endured a difficult weekend marked by both drivers’ struggles. During his speech, the president harshly criticized the two leading figures of the team, suggesting they should focus more on results and less on words. At the same time, he congratulated the Ferrari mechanics and engineers for their efforts — but did so with a glaring factual error that left many speechless.
His comments shocked the paddock and the Ferrari community alike. No one expected such a direct attack on the team’s two most high-profile drivers, both of whom have given everything in pursuit of success. Many have indeed noted that Lewis Hamilton’s communication with the media has sometimes been excessive, particularly concerning his remarks about the 2026 car development. However, even if Elkann’s criticism was directed solely at the British driver, such public statements are widely viewed as inappropriate. These discussions should take place privately within the team, not in front of cameras.
If the message was also meant for Charles Leclerc, it becomes even more unjustified. The Monegasque driver has been devoted to Ferrari for seven years and has often been the one holding the team together through its most difficult periods. Despite all this, John Elkann still managed to commit a notable blunder during his speech, which drew attention across social media and among F1 fans.
Elkann confuses the pit stop championship with pole positions
“The mechanics who are winning the championship with performance and with poles… everything that has been done in pit stops,” John Elkann said. The statement revealed a significant misunderstanding. It appears the Ferrari president confused the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award — a recognition of the best pit crew performances across the season — with pole positions earned during qualifying sessions. This kind of mistake is not minor, and it highlights John Elkann’s apparent lack of understanding of what happens on track.
The mix-up immediately reminded fans of another memorable blunder: after the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, John Elkann praised Ferrari for securing the “fastest lap,” even though Mercedes had achieved a dominant one-two finish, leaving Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari over ten seconds behind. Moments like these reinforce the perception that Elkann is out of touch with the technical and sporting realities of Formula 1.
Elkann’s comments spark outrage among fans
Many fans and analysts viewed John Elkann’s statements as both unfair and ill-informed. Using the team’s recent World Endurance Championship triumph — where Ferrari claimed both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles — to criticize the Formula 1 division came across as disingenuous and disrespectful. The two series are vastly different: endurance racing rewards consistency and strategy over many hours, while Formula 1 demands absolute precision in every millisecond. In F1, every detail counts — from aerodynamic efficiency to tire management and pit stop timing.
Moreover, few believe that Ferrari’s current issues are due to its drivers. With a seven-time world champion like Lewis Hamilton and a talent of Charles Leclerc’s caliber — often considered on par with Max Verstappen — it’s clear that the problem lies elsewhere. For this reason, John Elkann’s comments were widely labeled as misguided and demoralizing for the team. Many fans believe that such criticism, particularly when paired with factual errors, only damages Ferrari’s image and undermines the unity the Scuderia desperately needs.
For Ferrari, this episode comes at a delicate moment. The team is trying to rebuild momentum and morale after a challenging series of races, and public disputes or blunders from leadership certainly do not help. What should have been a moment to celebrate the hard work of the mechanics turned instead into another PR misstep — one that fans and the media won’t soon forget.
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