Ferrari president John Elkann took intention at his F1 drivers after a disastrous Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each failing to complete the race
Ferrari president John Elkann launched a surprising assault on System 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following a disastrous Sao Paulo Grand Prix, telling them to “speak much less and give attention to driving”. Neither driver managed to attain a single level in Sunday’s race, each retiring after sustaining harm in separate incidents.
On the identical day, Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship outfit secured the title on the Eight Hours of Bahrain. The trio of Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi, former Sauber F1 racer Antonio Giovinazzi and Britain’s James Calado completed fourth within the Gulf state to clinch the drivers’ title, while Ferrari completed 74 factors clear on the summit of the producers’ standings.
Nonetheless, issues have been far tougher in F1 this yr, particularly for Hamilton who has discovered it onerous to adapt to his new setting. Aside from a Dash race victory in Shanghai again in March, there have been few excessive factors.
But, it is evident that Scuderia Ferrari’s issues run deeper, highlighted by Leclerc’s incapability to safe a Grand Prix victory this yr regardless of making few errors.
Nonetheless, Elkann, who was in Bahrain as a substitute of Brazil, directed his criticism on the drivers for Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness this season. The Italian stated: “We gained the WEC title – when Ferrari is united, you get outcomes. [But] Brazil was an enormous disappointment.
“If we have a look at the System 1 championship, we will say that our mechanics are profitable the championship with their efficiency and all the things they’ve achieved on the pit stops. If we have a look at our engineers, there isn’t any doubt that the automobile has improved. If we have a look at the remainder, it is less than par. And we definitely have drivers for whom it is vital that they give attention to driving and speak much less.”
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Ferrari presently sit fourth within the constructors’ championship with simply three races remaining, having dropped behind each Mercedes and Crimson Bull in latest weeks. They continue to be the one workforce within the high 4 but to say a Grand Prix victory in 2025.
Hamilton, who might solely handle thirteenth on the grid in Sao Paulo earlier than in the end retiring from the race as a result of harm, provided a bleak evaluation afterwards: “It is a nightmare and I have been dwelling it for some time. To flip between the dream of driving for this wonderful workforce and the nightmare of the outcomes we have had, the ups and downs, it is difficult.
“Tomorrow, I am going to get again up, I am going to preserve coaching and dealing with the workforce. I actually needed to get into the factors this weekend, however I am going to come again as sturdy as I can within the subsequent race and attempt to get well it.”
Leclerc added: “It is irritating, contemplating that we’re preventing for second place within the constructors’ championship. Will probably be troublesome for us to safe that place now, and we’ve got to execute the subsequent three weekends completely to have an opportunity to take action. The response of our complete workforce who turned the state of affairs round utterly from Friday to as we speak has been a very good effort.”
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