F1: Hamilton dismisses talks of friction with Ferrari chairman Elkann before Las Vegas GP

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed suggestions of friction within Ferrari after team chairman John Elkann’s recent comments that he and teammate Charles Leclerc should “focus on driving and talk less”.

Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said he had not taken Elkann’s comments personally and remained in regular contact with the Ferrari chief.

“John and I speak almost every week, so we have a great relationship,” Hamilton said when asked about Elkann’s remarks. “I didn’t have a reaction to it.”

Leclerc echoed Hamilton’s comments, saying he viewed the remarks as a reflection of Elkann’s desire to win.

“I know John is a very ambitious person and wants to push everyone to the maximum to get the maximum results,” he said.

“He loves Ferrari, I love Ferrari, we all love Ferrari, and we try to do the best in every situation.”

Ferrari suffered a double retirement in Sao Paulo on Sunday, its third race of the season without either driver in the points.

Close runner-up to McLaren last season, Ferrari has slipped to fourth in the constructors’ standings – behind McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.

Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari, said responsibility for their struggles was shared across the organisation. But despite Ferrari’s ups and downs this season, the Briton said there were no problems with team harmony.

“I joined this team knowing full well that it takes time to steer a ship in a different direction,” he said.

“This is a huge team. There are so many little parts, and we can’t fix it quickly. It takes real time.”

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The setbacks had only underlined his and Ferrari’s resilience, he added.

“It’s like we’re climbing up a mountain and then you arrive at the weekend and you slip a few steps back or 10 steps back and you have to then get back up and try again,” he said.

“I back this team 100 per cent and I back myself 100%. I know that when we get things right, it’s going to be amazing. I truly believe that’s going to happen.”

Published on Nov 20, 2025