Are Ferrari chair John Elkann’s feedback that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc want to pay attention “on driving and speak much less” after their poor outcomes this season unfair? – Jordan
John Elkann actually brought about a stir with his remarks the day after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
It isn’t clear what precisely provoked them, as Ferrari didn’t say.
However given they got here lower than 24 hours after Hamilton had mentioned that his run of ends in his first season at Ferrari had been “a nightmare, and I’ve been residing it for some time”, it might not be unreasonable to suppose the seven-time champion might need been in Elkann’s thoughts.
So far as Hamilton goes, that is typical of the type of emotional comment he makes when he has had a disappointing race.
Keep in mind when he mentioned after Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying that he was “simply ineffective” and “drove terribly” and Ferrari “most likely want to vary driver”?
He did not imply that then, probably not. And Brazil must be seen in that context.
In any case, Hamilton went on to say: “I imagine there’s something extraordinary up forward in my life and in my future. I actually nonetheless imagine on this staff and what we are able to obtain collectively.”
Which is, one may assume, precisely the type of message Elkann would need to hear.
The problem many individuals had with Elkann’s feedback was that their accuracy was questionable.
He singled out the mechanics for reward for “mainly profitable the championship with their efficiency and the whole lot that has been finished on the pit stops”, on the premise they’re main the rankings for average pit-stop time., external
Honest sufficient, however then he mentioned: “If we have a look at our engineers, there is not any doubt that the automotive has improved.”
Properly, maybe it has. However not relative to the opposition. Ferrari had been 0.372 seconds off the tempo on common in qualifying within the first half of the season, and to date within the second they’re 0.472secs off.
As for the drivers, sure, Hamilton has been by the mill this 12 months, however his performances have improved over the season, even when Brazil was a tough race for him.
However Leclerc has been excellent. And whereas he has identified repeatedly that the automotive just isn’t fast sufficient, no-one would disagree with that, not even Elkann.
Ferrari are in F1 to win. Nothing much less is nice sufficient. That is only a reality. And Leclerc has been steadfastly loyal to the staff.
Ferrari are briefing that Elkann’s remarks must be seen as a spur for the staff to do higher. But it surely’s laborious to see how Leclerc and Hamilton would take particularly kindly to them, nevertheless effectively which means they had been.
