ELKANN KEEPING CLOSE EYE ON FERRARI AS ZANDVOORT ERR…..SEE MORE IN COMMENT

ELKANN KEEPING CLOSE EYE ON FERRARI AS ZANDVOORT ERR…..SEE MORE IN COMMENT 

Ferrari chairman John Elkann was reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation at Zandvoort, where another operational misstep underlined the problems at Maranello. The Dutch GP saw Ferrari hesitate on team orders between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, costing valuable points as Hamilton lost time stuck behind his teammate on fresher tyres. It followed a pattern of strategic and execution errors that has left Ferrari second in the constructors’ but 31 points behind Mercedes in 2026. With the title fight slipping away, sources suggest Elkann wants immediate answers from team principal Fred Vasseur.

    The mood inside Maranello is described as far from ideal. Elkann has previously warned that “the work in Maranello, in the garage, on the pit wall and at the wheel needs to improve” and that “there are still too many mistakes when it comes to reliability, driving and strategy”. That message was echoed again this season after Ferrari failed to win a race in 2025 and slipped to fourth in the standings. In a recent open letter to stakeholders, Elkann admitted F1 “fell short of ambitions” in 2025, but stressed “accountability and the determination to return stronger”. With 2026 regulations looming, internal tensions have reportedly grown as departments struggle for a unified strategy.

     Elkann’s scrutiny now extends directly to management and drivers. After Sao Paulo last year he publicly told Hamilton and Leclerc they “need to focus on driving and talk less”, and more recently the chairman has pushed for discipline as Ferrari fight to hold second in the championship. He continues to back the staff as Ferrari’s “greatest guarantee”, pointing to success in endurance racing with three straight Le Mans wins. But in F1, the demand is clear: stop the errors. With Hamilton calling for written “rules of engagement” and Leclerc admitting Ferrari are currently the fourth-best team, Elkann’s message from Zandvoort onward is that progress in Maranello can no longer wait.