Lewis Hamilton has insisted he does not believe he can work any harder to help improve Ferrari’s performance, in reaction to a rebuke from the Ferrari president, John Elkann, who had said he should “focus on driving and talk less”. Hamilton maintained pointedly that the problems at the team would not be fixed with “the click of a finger”.
The driver, who has yet to claim a podium for the Scuderia in an immensely trying first season with the team, was outspoken after another disappointing race in Brazil, after which he described his debut year as “a nightmare”. Elkann responded equally bluntly with his riposte.
Speaking before this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton said his relationship with Elkann remained “great” but took issue with the suggestion he should focus more on his driving, when asked if it was a fair comment.
“Not really, I wake up thinking about it and I go to sleep thinking about it and I think about it when I’m sleeping,” he said. “If anything I have to focus on being able to unplug more. It’s been a really heavy year. It’s been the busiest year that I think I’ve had. I’ve been at the factory more than I think I was at any other factory before.’
He said that he still felt Ferrari had a long way to go to improve.
“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 thing, it’s a huge organisation. There’s so many moving parts, you can’t fix it in the click of a finger.
“It takes real time. Of course, it’s not been what any of us wanted in terms of a season, with the troubles that we’ve had and the results that we’ve had. We’ve just continued to push on, full steam.”
Las Vegas is the 22nd race of the 24-meeting season and there is no indication that Ferrari can expect any great improvement in performance on the street circuit. Indeed, the cold and wet conditions on a low-grip track are expected to make it tricky for all competitors.
Hamilton is sixth in the drivers’ championship, 66 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who also addressed Elkann’s comments which had been aimed at both drivers. Leclerc said he had spoken to the Ferrari president who had explained they were not a criticism but rather a reflection of his desire to win, with the Scuderia now fourth in the constructors’ championship.
Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari has been hard, his frustration and disappointment palpable as he has adapted to a new environment and practices.
“There’s just been so much to do, and so much to learn. It’s definitely tough when we’re all working for something, and then you fall back,” he said. “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 the next time.”
Lando Norris goes into the race in Las Vegas leading the world championship by 24 points from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and 49 in front of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The British driver cannot claim the title in Nevada but a strong finish in front of Piastri would give him a huge advantage going into the penultimate round in Qatar, after which a lead of 26 points would be enough to seal his first F1 title.
