Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton And Charles Leclerc Respond After Getting Flamethrowered By Their Boss
The Ferrari CEO said that the team's drivers need to "focus more and talk less"
It's no secret that the Las Vegas Grand Prix is a popular race amongst F1 drivers, but Ferrari's duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc may not have been as jazzed about this trip to Sin City.
That's because it marked the first race weekend since the two were scorched by comments from Ferrari chairman and CEO John Elkann after an unmitigated disaster of a weekend at Interlagos almost two weeks ago.
"We have drivers who need to focus more and talk less, because we still have important races to come, and finishing second in the constructors isn't impossible," the Ferrari boss said.
Ouch.
So, how did the fellas in the rosso corsa firesuits respond? Did they tell their boss to pound sand? Did they say, "Let's see you hop in the cockpit and score some points?"
Of course not. Both have been in the game long enough to know how to navigate turbulent waters like this.
Ferrari's Chartles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have responded to some fiery comments from Ferrari chairman and CEO John Elkann after a nightmare weekend in Brazil. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
"There’s so much passion in this team, every single member of this team," Hamilton said, seemingly sidestepping the question, per Autoweek. "I’m incredibly grateful for the extraordinary effort every single person back at the factory continues to put in, week on week. And naturally, knowing that the team is Ferrari, there’s always a huge amount of attention, not always in a positive way."
He followed that by reiterating his commitment to the Scuderia and saying that he thinks the team is in a good place.
Although some would argue that P4 behind a Red Bull team that has only been scoring with one car all season is not the right place…
Leclerc addressed Elkann's comments more directly and seemed to understand what the Ferrari CEO was going for.
"John is a very ambitious person and wants to push everyone to the maximum in order to have the maximum results," Leclerc said. "He loves Ferrari, I love Ferrari, we all love Ferrari, and we try to do the best in every situation. John called me before [the message was public], just like he does after every race, to catch up. He also told me that the message he wanted to send was a positive one, saying we need to do better.
"That is clear for everyone. We are aligned and I will do absolutely everything in order to bring Ferrari back to the top. This I’ve always said in the past and I’ve always tried my best."
Ferrari needs a bounce-back weekend to reclaim P3 in the constructors' standings, and the Las Vegas Strip Circuit might help them do that with its long, fast straights that have suited them at times this season.