And definitely not a Leclerc problem. The 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix was a nightmare for Scuderia Ferrari, with both cars failing to finish. Ferrari’s entire campaign has been hampered by a persistent aerodynamic issue that forces the SF25 to run with a higher ride height than its rivals. This setup causes a noticeable performance loss relative to the competition. Yet, Ferrari has battled through the problem, managing to hold onto second place in the Constructors’ Championship for much of the season.
However, the double DNF in Brazil has seen Ferrari tumble to fourth in the standings, with three races remaining. There are still plenty of points up for grabs, and second place remains mathematically achievable. Enter John Elkann, the Ferrari Chairman, who, during a sponsorship event in Rome on Monday, addressed the team’s double retirement.
“The mechanics and engineers are performing well, but if we look at the rest, it is not up to scratch. And we definitely have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less because we still have important races ahead of us and getting second place is not impossible”.
“In Bahrain, we won the World Endurance Championship title. When Ferrari is united, we get results.”
It appears that Elkann’s attempt to motivate his team for the remaining races has backfired—at least on social media, where fans are blaming Ferrari and its engineers for falling behind the technological curve. For many, Elkann’s comments seemed to throw his drivers under the bus for the temerity of publicly criticising the SF25.
Rumour has it that Ferrari’s engineers are somewhat at odds with Lewis Hamilton’s approach, as he has sought to “ruffle a few feathers” by pushing for changes and introducing improved processes. Elkann’s statement is being seen as uniting with the mechanics and engineers while placing the blame for on-track failures squarely on the drivers’ shoulders.
Conversely, Elkann also called for team unity—while publicly pouring gasoline on the very thing he values most. It’s not a smart move; as the old saying goes, “talking is silver, but silence is golden.” As CEO, Elkann should deliver the harsh words behind closed doors. Nevertheless, his statement could either spark chaos or bring about the focus he’s hoping for.
Ferrari last won a Drivers’ Championship in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen, and their most recent Constructors’ title came in 2008. The team has never lacked top-tier talent eager to drive for them; however, even Alonso and Vettel came up short despite their best efforts. Charles Leclerc possesses the drive and determination to lead Ferrari back to championship glory, but at times, the mechanics and engineers have not delivered the performance needed to match his raw speed and ambition.
And no one can complain about having Lewis Hamilton on board. However, rumours also suggest internal strife is brewing, nothing new for the Scuderia. Ferrari’s technical staff are unhappy with Leclerc’s and Hamilton’s post-race remarks describing the SF25 as difficult to drive—comments they see as public criticism.
And if Ferrari’s mechanics and engineers dislike having their knowledge and expertise questioned, the finger naturally tends to point toward them when results fail to materialise. In the end, the Scuderia Ferrari has a Maranello problem, not a driver problem.
