THIS CANNOT BE REAL!” — F1 ERUPTS AFTER… Read moro
The weekend at the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix proved to be a harsh reality check for Scuderia Ferrari in its bid to salvage the season. In a stunning turn of events, both its star drivers — Lewis Hamilton
and Charles Leclerc — exited the race without a single point, prompting a sharp public rebuke from team chairman John Elkann.
Elkann openly described the weekend as “a huge disappointment,” pointing out that while the mechanics are doing a “championship-winning” job with pit stops and the engineers have clearly improved the car, other elements of the team are simply “not up to par.”
He then singled out his drivers: “We certainly have drivers … for whom it’s important that they focus on driving and talk less, because we still have important races ahead of us and it’s not impossible to get second place.”
It was a strong moment from Elkann — especially given that Ferrari had just come off a high point in the same weekend: the team clinched the title in the endurance racing arena. He used that success as a contrasting backdrop to the F1 team’s struggles, noting that when Ferrari is truly united, results follow.
For Hamilton, the comments have hit at a delicate moment. Having joined the Maranello outfit this season, he described his own experience in Brazil as “a nightmare… the flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results we’ve had.” Leclerc’s weekend also collapsed early: after qualifying well, he became tangled in a crash triggered by a pair of other competitors, ending his race prematurely.
The consequences on the standings are stark. Ferrari slipped from second to fourth in the constructors’ championship after this one weekend. With just three race weekends remaining, they still have a mathematical chance of finishing runner-up, but the margin for error is now razor-thin.
Social media and fans were quick to react — some branded Elkann’s remarks as “absolutely insane,” arguing that if the drivers are being publicly called out, perhaps the underlying leadership and car problems are the real issue. Others took the opposite route, suggesting that perhaps this tough talk is exactly what Ferrari needs to break the cycle of disappointment.
Looking ahead, the message from Elkann is clear: the mechanics and engineers have laid the groundwork, the car is improving, and now the demand is on the drivers to deliver — to stop talking, to stop negotiating, and to start racing. With crucial races coming up, the spotlight is brighter than ever. Whether this tough love will spark a turnaround or deepen the internal rift remains to be seen.
