Ferrari Boss Elkann Under Fire for “Talk Less, Drive More” Comments
Former Schumacher race engineer Luigi Mazzola has blasted Ferrari chairman John Elkann for his F1 knowledge—or lack thereof.
“Elkann has about as much Formula 1 expertise as I have in economics—basically none, honestly very little,” Mazzola said.
The criticism comes after Ferrari’s nightmare weekend in Brazil that ended with both cars failing to finish the race.
Elkann raised eyebrows when he publicly told his drivers to “talk less and focus on driving more” in the wake of the double DNF.
Mazzola thinks the chairman should have kept those thoughts private.
“Dirty laundry should be washed at home—it’s obvious,” he told NewsF1. “When you say something like that publicly, you’re already taking a shot at someone. Usually, when you do things like this, it’s because you’re targeting someone to shape what happens next.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse, according to Mazzola. Instead of celebrating Ferrari’s double championship win in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), Elkann chose to criticize the F1 team.
“He came out with that line at a moment when he could have scored some big points by celebrating the WEC success: you’ve won the drivers’ title, the constructors’ title—why go and talk about Formula 1 at all?”
Mazzola suspects Elkann might not have even come up with the comments himself.
“Those words may not even have come directly from him—they were probably suggested to him. Certain figures are clearly fed specific lines.”
He added that while the comments don’t help the team, Elkann lacks the influence of previous Ferrari leaders. “He’s no Montezemolo. He’s not someone whose words can really have that much impact.”
## Leclerc Also Faces Harsh Criticism
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is taking heat from another Ferrari figure.
Former Italian driver Arturo Merzario—best known for helping Niki Lauda escape after his horrific fireball crash at the Nürburgring in 1976—didn’t hold back when discussing the Monégasque driver.
Merzario claimed that “Leclerc ended up occupying a seat at Ferrari that, at the time, he simply didn’t deserve.” He acknowledged that “he’s a very good driver, like many others,” but insisted that “he’s not special.”
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