Elkann’s ‘Talk Less’ Comment Misses the Real Ferrari Problem

"Brazil was a big disappointment,” Elkann said to Sky Sports Italy, on the Monday following the race at Interlagos. Both Ferrari drivers were forced to retire early, Leclerc after a collision with Kimi Antonelli on lap six, and Hamilton after several laps of carrying around damage from a clash with Franco Colapinto in the opening turns of the race.

Indeed, this is yet another weekend to forget in what has been an undoubtedly painful season for the Scuderia. After coming away just 14 points shy of the Constructors’ Title in 2024, Ferrari’s performance this year has left the Tifosi wondering what happened. 

And Elkann has his answer to that question:

“Looking at the Formula 1 championship,” he said, “we can say that we have our mechanics, who are basically winning the championship with their performance and everything that has been done on the pitstops. Our engineers have undoubtedly improved the car. But when it comes to the rest, it is still not up to par.

"And surely we have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less. We still have important races ahead of us, and it is not impossible to achieve second place [in the constructors]. This is the most important message, because [winning the Endurance world title in] Bahrain itself is the demonstration that, when everyone at Ferrari work together, we win."

With only 36 points currently separating second and fourth place, it is fair to say that, with a bit of focus, P2 in the Constructors’ is achievable. But is it really fair to put it all on the drivers (who are contractually obligated to talk to the media), while things outside of their effort have also put the team on the back foot?

Both Leclerc and Hamilton faced disqualifications in China earlier this year for not meeting the weight minimum and excessive plank wear, respectively. Team principal Fred Vasseur admitted to making poor strategic and team decisions during a rainy season opener in Australia, and again in Canada. And sometimes, like in Brazil, they were just collateral damage in collisions between other drivers. 

What’s more, Hamilton himself has hinted at deeper problems within the Ferrari organization itself. 

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Back in July of this year, following the Canadian Grand Prix, he told Sky Italia, “The mindset for me, I’m like ‘there’s a lot of changes that need to be made in the system. I wish I could tell you what’s happening. There’s a lot going on in the background.

“Yeah, I can’t say too much about it. There’s so many things I wish I could tell you that could explain the things that have happened this year, the problems we had, and what’s going on within the organization.

“But my goal is to try and positively influence, try and get change so we can have long-term success. There’s a lot of changes that we need. For me it’s that foundation building. We’re not fighting for a championship.”

All in all, Ferrari is clearly a team with a lot of pressure on them right now. They are one of, if not the biggest name in F1, with a seven-time World Champion on their roster, and yet they’ve not once been on top of the podium this year. What’s more, the last time they won any title in F1 was nearly 20 years ago, and the expectations for them to succeed just keep mounting as more time ticks by.

But given everything that they have gone through, in just the last year alone, laying the blame for their troubles on a single person (or pair of people, in this case) feels a little bit misplaced. This is a team that is clearly struggling in more ways than one, and while they have the talent, experience, and passion to rise again, it will take more than just their drivers staying quiet to get over their hurdles and see the prancing horse win again.

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Cover image via Ferrari Media Centre

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