Leo Turrini starting to think that 'John Elkann knew more than he could explicitly say' last year

Through the columns of his blog, Ferrari insider Leo Turrini commented on Charles Leclerc’s words regarding his contract renewal and Scuderia Ferrari’s championship ambitions. In doing so, the Italian journalist also reflected on Red Bull’s dominance and some statements made about a year ago by the president of the Prancing Horse, John Elkann.

Ferrari, Leclerc, and Elkann’s words: Leo Turrini’s analysis

“Carletto’s words about the 2026 perspective, well, it seems to me they have fueled somewhat conflicting thoughts,” Leo Turrini begins, referring to the recent statements by the Monegasque driver about his renewal and Ferrari’s championship prospects. He then expresses his opinion, writing: “It’s an act of intellectual honesty to admit that at this historical moment, Red Bull has a massive advantage. It’s stating the obvious, but it’s true. In the first racing weekend of 2023, it was Russell who openly stated that, in his opinion, the Red Bull would win all the races of the new championship. No one at Mercedes tore their clothes.”

“There are undeniable truths. Charles Leclerc stated one: with the current data, under stable regulations, it would be naive to deny the overwhelming supremacy of Verstappen’s team. Today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow,” Leo Turrini continues, emphasizing: “It would be different if Carletto had concluded his reasoning like this: there’s nothing to be done, and so I’m resigned, and therefore I’ll be a tourist on the track until 2026. But he didn’t say that, and I know he doesn’t even think it. Of course, it’s extremely challenging, yet no one at Maranello has stopped working towards a reversal of the trend.” – the Italian journalist wrote.

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“I’ll add a little something, for the sake of truth. A year ago, ahead of the Monza weekend, President John Elkann publicly stated that Ferrari’s deadline for the championship was 2026. We gave him a hard time about it, myself included. Now I’m starting to think that the president knew more than he could explicitly state. In other words, he was right, in advance,” the Leo Turrini concludes.