There’s no doubt the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was one of Ferrari’s lowest ebbs in a Formula 1 season with a bar set so low it would require a spine made of marzipan to limbo under.
That being said, mitigating circumstances meant that it was not self-inflicted, but more of a race destroyed by the typical chaos the Interlagos circuit brings.
Lewis Hamilton was tagged by Carlos Sainz at the first corner, damaging his car, which he laboured round for 37 laps before being told to box the terminal SF-25.
Then came Charles Leclerc’s retirement from third place, his left-front suspension bent like a magician’s spoon after being hit by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes in a domino effect from initial contact with Oscar Piastri after a Virtual Safety Car restart.
In either case, it led to a double-DNF and saw the Scuderia lose ground in the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship behind rivals Mercedes and Red Bull, and what it led to was a sharp-tongued assessment from the Italian marque’s chairman, John Elkann.
“If we look at the Formula 1 championship we can say that on one hand we have our mechanics, who are basically winning the championship with their performance and everything that has been done on the pitstops,” he said at an event for the 2026 Winter Olympics, held in Italy.
“If we look at our engineers, there’s no doubt that the car has improved. If we look at the rest, it is not up to par.
“And surely we have drivers for whom it is important that they focus on driving and talk less, because we still have important races ahead of us and getting second place is not impossible.”
Not exactly the most glowing of endorsements.
Elkann’s words are, according to some media in Italy, aimed squarely at Hamilton rather than Leclerc. Regardless, it appeared to trigger social media ripostes by both men.
“I back my team. I back myself. I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever. Thank you, Brazil, always,” Hamilton wrote.
“Disappointing to come back home with nearly no points at all for the team in what is a critical moment of the season to fight for the 2nd place in the constructors’ championship It’s uphill from now and it’s clear that only unity can help us turn that situation around in the last 3 races. We’ll give it all, as always,” stated Leclerc.
Ferrari has previously been a team that has endured contention within its ranks, hence why a number of Team Principals have had less longevity than a misplaced Tamagotchi.
But it is currently in a unique situation where the brand’s hierarchy is at odds with the F1 team, which appears rather united.
Despite current boss Fred Vasseur’s future secured by a contract extension, there were still rumours of Ferrari trying to lure Christian Horner to Maranello. If true, not the biggest vote of confidence. In Mexico, Leclerc said, when asked by Motorsport Week about the current situation, that he and Hamilton were “speaking from the heart” when they publicly stated their support of the Frenchman.
Despite apparently departures from the backroom to rival teams [two of its engine department are said to be Audi-bound], there has been a lot of quiet on the Western front when it comes to any in-house criticism of Vasseur, and with the two drivers very much united in Vasseur’s favour, it seems that there is a disconnect between the F1 team and the organisation’s boardroom.
Little will change between now and once the 2026 season settles down into a rhythm of realisation as to where the team actually is once its next car is out on track. Leclerc’s future – provided he wants it to be tinged with scarlet red – is more than likely secure. Hamilton’s less so, as, to the untrained eye, has been an unmitigated failure, given a seven-time World Champion has not only failed to win a full Grand Prix, but hasn’t scored a podium, and has been in Leclerc’s shadow.
There is probably some buyer’s regret at the moment, given the Scuderia supposedly paid an exorbitant amount of money to spring Hamilton out of Mercedes for little return in the form of results, but his experience could prove to be invaluable in the development of 2026’s car. Vasseur can only do so much with what has been a much-maligned strategic team flanking him on the pit wall. Provided he wants it, a recruitment drive to find a team that could help propel the team forward wouldn’t go amiss, but if the team and the car in 2026 can provide some stern competition to the Mercedes-powered cars [apparently set to be the most competitive based on current projections], then everything will look a little rosier again.
But if it is not, then there could be potential for an all-out civil war. The drivers evidently will back Vasseur no matter what, and if the Chairman is going to be trigger-happy if results don’t match expectations, then the disconnect could grow further. The fact is Leclerc and Hamilton are two drivers who, as far as most people are concerned, are ranked in the highest echelons of Grand Prix racing and could more than likely be trusted to improve the team by pure experience alone.
Ferrari has not won a Constructors’ Championship since 2008, and a Drivers’ Championship since 2007, and it may need to be pulling in all directions to be victorious again. If not, the prancing horse may be reduced from a gallop to a lame canter.
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