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Ferrari chairman John Elkann is reportedly furious following the opening-lap clash between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix. According to several Italian media outlets, tensions have escalated all the way to the boardroom ahead of this weekend's race at Interlagos — the very venue where, a year ago, Elkann publicly urged his drivers to "talk less."
Until now, public scrutiny had largely centered on team principal Fred Vasseur, who dismissed Leclerc's explanation of the incident. However, the latest reports from Italy suggest that dissatisfaction runs far deeper than just trackside operations.
Elkann unimpressed on and off the track
Italian journalist Giuliano Duchessa of AutoRacer.it reported that Elkann was bitterly disappointed by the events during and after the race in Mexico. The internal squabble cost Ferrari a potential victory and potentially even a 1-2 finish. Hamilton had started from pole — his first for the Scuderia — but following the contact, Leclerc picked up a five-second penalty, Max Verstappen took the win, and the Ferrari duo crossed the line in second and fourth.
Italian outlet Virgilio also noted that the Ferrari chairman, who consistently preaches the importance of team unity, was seriously angered by the fallout.
Sky Italia presenter Mara Sangiorgio echoed similar sentiments: "Vasseur publicly criticized both drivers in Mexico, and Elkann certainly wasn't pleased with what unfolded, especially as missed opportunities continue to mount."
Other pundits in Italy have gone even further, laying part of the blame directly at Elkann's door. They argue that signing Lewis Hamilton without either parting ways with Charles Leclerc or establishing the Monegasque as the undisputed team leader was a strategic miscalculation.
Former Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene offered a blunt assessment on Sky Italia: "At that crucial moment, both braked too late, but Lewis had the experience to stay on track, whereas Leclerc put himself in an awkward spot."
Elkann's warning in Brazil last year
This is not the first time Elkann's patience with his drivers has worn thin around the Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2025, a double DNF in São Paulo saw Ferrari drop from second to fourth in the Constructors' Championship. Speaking at an event in Rome for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics the following day, Elkann labeled the performance a huge disappointment. He insisted that the drivers needed to focus on driving and talk less, adding: "We need drivers who think about Ferrari, not about themselves."
"Focus on driving and talk less" — John Elkann on Ferrari's driver lineup.
A week and a half later in Las Vegas, both drivers sought to downplay the comments. "John and I speak every week," Hamilton said at the time, while Leclerc was emphatic: "We are all pulling in the same direction, and I will do everything in my power to bring Ferrari back to the top."
Leclerc to miss media duties in Brazil
Awkward questions for one side of the garage will be delayed this weekend. Leclerc will sit out his scheduled media duties at Interlagos today, having flown back to Monaco immediately after the race in Mexico for the birth of his daughter, Bianca. He is set to rejoin the team in time for the on-track sessions.
Nevertheless, simmering tensions threaten to spark yet another public storm for the Scuderia. The São Paulo Grand Prix will reveal whether Elkann's frustration leads to deeper repercussions. While the chairman has yet to comment publicly on the Mexico incident, it was at Interlagos twelve months ago where he chose to make his voice heard.
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