Ferrari Chief Tells Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to ‘Talk Less, Drive More’

Ferrari president John Elkann has issued a rare and blunt public criticism of his team’s drivers following a dismal Sao Paulo Grand Prix that saw both cars retire. While Ferrari’s pit crew and engineering department drew praise from the chairman, Elkann reserved none for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, calling on them to “talk less and drive more.”

“Brazil was a huge disappointment,” Elkann said. “If you look at the F1 championship, you can say that we have the mechanics who are winning the championship thanks to their performances and everything that was done during the pit stops. 

If you look at our engineers, there’s no doubt that the car has improved. If you look at the rest, it’s not up to par. And we certainly have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less.”

His comments follow one of Ferrari’s worst weekends of the season, with both Hamilton and Leclerc retiring early after separate on-track incidents. 

A Weekend to Forget for Ferrari

The race at Interlagos turned into a nightmare for Ferrari within the opening laps. Charles Leclerc’s race ended after a chaotic restart saw Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, and Leclerc come together at Turn 1, causing suspension damage to the Monegasque’s SF-24.

Lewis Hamilton’s Sunday wasn’t much better. The seven-time world champion, still adapting to life in red, collided with Williams rookie Franco Colapinto later in the race, earning a five-second time penalty and a penalty point on his license before Ferrari ultimately retired his car due to floor damage. 

For a team hoping to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship, a double DNF could not have come at a worse time.