Ferrari is facing new internal tensions – The team appears to be entering another turbulent phase, with president John Elkann openly criticising his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, following their disappointing performance in the Brazilian Grand Prix. These comments come at a time when the Scuderia is already under pressure to justify its substantial spending and deliver consistent results on the track.
Elkann, who rarely criticises publicly, has reportedly directed his frustration towards the team’s high-profile driver line-up. His remarks are being interpreted as a sign of growing unrest within Maranello. Earlier in the season, Elkann voiced concerns about Ferrari’s overall competitiveness, implicitly questioning the leadership under team principal Frédéric Vasseur. Now, the spotlight is on the drivers themselves.
High costs, low returns
Both Hamilton and Leclerc command some of the most substantial salaries on the Formula 1 grid. The seven-time world champion’s contract, estimated at around $50 million per year, has been viewed internally as an investment yet to pay off. Meanwhile, Leclerc also enjoys a lucrative long-term deal that extends well into his career, ensuring his financial security regardless of his performance on the track.
Elkann’s recent comments are said to reflect his frustration that the returns from this star-studded lineup have not met expectations. The president is said to have defended the dedication of the Italian mechanics and engineers, while suggesting that the team’s non-Italian leadership and drivers are responsible for the performance shortfall. This is a familiar dynamic within Ferrari, one that has historically emerged whenever results fail to meet the high standards set by fans and management alike.
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Struggling for form
Ferrari currently sits fourth in the Formula 1 constructors’ standings — a position that falls far short of the ambitions that accompanied the team’s major investments in technical personnel and driving talent. By comparison, such a result for teams like Mercedes or Red Bull would be seen as a major crisis.
Despite having a car that is considered competitive by most people in the paddock, the results have been underwhelming. Finishing fifth and sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, as appears likely for Hamilton and Leclerc, is a disappointing outcome for a team that aspires to fight for victories and podiums every weekend.
Hamilton has struggled throughout the season as he adapts to a new environment after leaving Mercedes. The expected resurgence has yet to materialise, and his performances have not consistently matched those of the frontrunners. Leclerc, on the other hand, started the season strongly but has since plateaued, unable to achieve the consistency required to challenge the top teams.
The team is on the edge
The atmosphere within Ferrari is said to be tense. With two world-class drivers and a demanding leadership structure, the team is facing the classic challenge of balancing ambition with accountability. Elkann’s sharp words suggest impatience, which could lead to further changes if results don’t improve quickly.
The risk of internal conflict is significant. Although Ferrari continues to invest heavily in personnel and technology, the lack of harmony between management and drivers threatens to undermine the meagre progress made over the past two seasons.
Ferrari’s long-standing pattern of internal pressure and public criticism appears to be repeating itself. Despite its immense resources and a line-up that many teams would envy, the Scuderia remains unable to convert potential into consistent performance. Elkann’s recent comments highlight the frustration even within the leadership about the current direction, which is not helped by the fact that the Ferrari WEC sports car team is winning everything in sight.
As the season draws to a close, Ferrari faces a critical test, both on the track and within its own walls. If unity cannot be restored, the team risks continuing the cycle of self-inflicted setbacks that has defined much of its modern era.
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MORE F1 NEWS – Stella reveals Piastri Achilles heel struck again in Brazil
McLaren’s team boss Andrea Stella has been repeating a narrative to explain why his Australian driver struggled so much in Austin and Mexico City. He claims Oscar Piastri’s driving style hampers him when the track conditions are low grip.
The team had encouraged him to adapt his driving style to resolve the issue in Mexico, although Oscar was unsure of how well the experiment had gone. “It’s difficult to say ultimately, I think we certainly tried a lot of different things, but at the back with cars as well, so it was difficult to kind of get a read on whether what I was changing with my driving was working that well or not,” Piastri said in the media pen.
The problem for the McLaren driver is that Las Vegas is next on the F1 calendar where the cold desert night temperatures will again see little grip in Sin City. The team’s expectations for Brazil were much higher for their young driver as the surface in Sao Paulo is abrasive often creating high tyre degradation.
São Paulo circuit more abrasive
And this year the degradation of the rubber was expected to be even higher,. Given the thousands of grooves cut into the track surface to improve drainage after 2024’s rain soaked Grand Prix. This is why Pirelli brought tyre compounds a step harder than last year, an unusual step given they have been generally selecting compounds this season which are softer to promote more pit stops.
It all began so well for the Australian who hasn’t been on the podium since his win in Zandvoort, he was milli seconds behind his team mate in practice with Lando Norris topping the time sheets. Yet come Sprint qualifying the two tenths gap to his team mate re-appeared and it is this which has defined much of Oscar’s woes in recent race weekend.
The Sprint was a disaster for Piastri again as early in the race as he pushed harder he hit the kerb in turn two by mistake, sending his McLaren hurtling into the barrier amidst showers of carbon fibre. He could only make P4 in Grand Prix qualifying and was now almost three tenths away from Norris who claimed his sixth pole position of the season…READ MORE
Alex Stanton is a Formula 1 journalist at TJ13 with a focus on the financial and commercial dynamics that underpin the sport. Alex contributes reporting and analysis on team ownership structures, sponsorship trends, and the evolving business model of Formula 1.
At TJ13, Alex covers topics including manufacturer investment, cost cap implications, and the strategic direction of teams navigating an increasingly complex financial environment. Alex’s work often examines how commercial decisions translate into on-track performance and long-term competitiveness.
With a strong interest in the intersection of sport and business, Alex provides context around Formula 1’s global growth, including media rights, expansion markets, and manufacturer influence.
Alex’s reporting aims to explain the financial realities behind headline stories, helping readers understand how money, governance, and strategy shape the competitive order in Formula 1.
