Jacques Villeneuve believes John Elkann’s perceived criticism of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc was “shocking”, as he lamented the culture at Ferrari’s F1 team.
Ferrari chairman Elkann implored Hamilton and Leclerc to “focus on driving and talk less” after their double DNF at the last race in Brazil - and amid a campaign where the Scuderia have not won a grand prix.
The comments have drawn criticism from fans and pundits alike, with Leclerc calling for “unity” and Hamilton insisting he will “never give up” despite previously labelling his debut Scuderia campaign as a “nightmare”.
And Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 world champion for Williams, believes Elkann’s comments are indicative of Ferrari’s team ethos and the contrasting emotions after Ferrari’s hypercar outfit won the World Endurance Championship on Saturday.
“It was a bit shocking, but it seems to be the Ferrari way when you look at the past,” Villeneuve said. “Most drivers have broken their teeth there, most drivers with personality. It's a strange environment.
“Brazil just turned out bad, not because there was a lack of pace or because the drivers were doing bad. I think that [the comments] came out a little bit of left field, purely linked to winning the WEC [World Endurance Championship].
“You have emotions, you have energy, and it will go both ways. And I'm sure that's what happened with the chairman as well. The emotions of winning and then a bad weekend result-wise in Brazil. So, the two mixed together created a big reaction.
“We live in an era where everything gets multiplied, whether it's on social media or gets over-analysed.”
Villeneuve added that the 2025 season has been a “big letdown” for the Scuderia, who had hopes of fighting for the championship after finishing second behind McLaren last year. Neither driver has picked up a win while Hamilton is yet to finish a grand prix in the top three.
“I don't see how those comments can be helpful,” Villeneuve added, in association with BetVictor Casino. “Not least in creating a positive mindset because they've always seemed to be quite united with their team. They both seemed to be using their social media channels to call for unity.
“Obviously, the energy at Ferrari is not great, which is not surprising. It's been years of not winning. There were high hopes this year, so it's been a big letdown. So, of course, the emotions run high.
“The problem is that when it gets out into the media, it gets dirty and that's never a nice thing. Then it gets bigger than it is and it can get out of control mostly with the fans and the media.
“We really have to be careful with that because it's a slippery road. Hopefully that's where it will stop because we've seen what happened with Prost, Mansell, almost every driver with a personality that has been in Ferrari. It would be a shame, if it went that way again.”
Ferrari currently sit fourth in the constructors’ championship ahead of the final three races of the season. The next race is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 20-22 November.
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