After Ferrari’s disastrous weekend in Brazil, Gian Carlo Minardi openly criticized John Elkann’s public comments against the team’s drivers. The former Faenza boss reminded everyone that a real president protects his people in public and reserves criticism for private discussions, as a good family father would do.
Minardi doesn’t hold back
Among the many remarks made by Gian Carlo Minardi during the latest episode of Pit Talk, one stood out above all others, perfectly summarizing the current atmosphere within Ferrari:
“The president of a team must be a good father figure. Criticism should be done internally, never externally.”
It was a direct yet elegant jab at John Elkann’s misplaced words. In the aftermath of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Ferrari president decided to blame his own drivers — particularly Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton — for the team’s poor performance. In the world of Formula 1, such a move smacks of poor leadership and managerial inexperience.
When the president talks too much
Ferrari endured one of its toughest weekends of the entire season. The SF-25 vanished during the race, unable to match the pace of McLaren or Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton struggled outside the top ten before eventually retiring from the race, his car damaged and his confidence shaken.
In this situation, John Elkann’s statement that “the drivers must do more” hit like a punch to the stomach for those who, like Minardi, understand what it takes to build a team from within — not in front of cameras and microphones.
As Gian Carlo Minardi pointed out, “Leclerc’s third place in qualifying came from the driver, not from the car.”
In other words, if there was one thing worth saving from that weekend, it was Charles Leclerc himself — not the car, not the race strategy, and certainly not the management approach.
The Ferrari paradox
While Ferrari seems busy shifting blame toward its drivers, rival teams are doing exactly the opposite — standing united behind theirs. McLaren protects Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Mercedes defends Andrea Kimi Antonelli during his learning curve, and Red Bull shields Max Verstappen whenever necessary.
At Maranello, instead, fingers are being pointed.
Gian Carlo Minardi put it bluntly: “Ferrari needs family-style leadership, not courtroom-style management.”
It’s a concept that seems to have been forgotten in Maranello, where a corporate culture now speaks more in the language of financial reports than that of racing passion.
The image problem
What impact do such statements have when made by the team’s president to the press — especially on a driver like Charles Leclerc? He has been holding the team together for years with his talent and determination, often compensating for the car’s shortcomings.
Gian Carlo Minardi didn’t say it directly, but the message was unmistakable: these public outbursts weaken the group and fracture the team spirit. And in Formula 1, where every tenth of a second matters, internal harmony can be worth more than a new front wing.
A piece of advice from Minardi
In closing, Minardi delivered a simple but cutting lesson:
“Be less critical in public and much more critical inside the team.”
A piece of advice John Elkann would do well to pin on the wall of his office, right next to the Prancing Horse emblem.
Because what Ferrari truly needs right now is leadership, not accusations. Constructive silence, not public criticism. And as Minardi wisely summed up — what the team lacks most is a father figure, not a megaphone.
