John Elkann intervened and was furious, according to Autoracer

Ferrari’s design department does not deserve a word of criticism this year. But the engine department, strategy team and drivers have come nowhere near making the most of its work following the rule changes. It all came to a head in Mexico, where the team had all the ingredients for victory, only to be let down by the component between the steering wheel and the seat. According to the Italian media, Ferrari president John Elkann has also had enough.

Tracing the roots of Ferrari’s fiasco on Sunday reveals several elements that are, at the very least, remarkable. Charles Leclerc’s actions and the reactions to them have been discussed at length and in detail, so let us look at it from another angle. What could Ferrari have done, and what can it do in future to prevent something similar?

Among the many interesting remarks after Sunday’s race, Lewis Hamilton’s admission that the team had not agreed on any shared strategy or approach before the start also stood out. That is utterly incomprehensible in Mexico, where the start is decisive and there is an extremely long run to the first corner.

Even more incomprehensible was Leclerc’s behaviour, which once again demonstrated that Ferrari needs to lay down clear rules for racing between team-mates and then enforce them firmly. “Mexico was essentially a repeat of Monza, only with the roles reversed. This problem can no longer be ignored. Excessive aggression in battles between team-mates damages the team’s interests,” wrote the well-known Italian website AutoRacer.

“Individual ambitions have to be managed, especially when they threaten to undermine the collective result. What happens when a world title is at stake?” AutoRacer asks.

Ferrari’s senior management is reportedly asking the same questions. “John Elkann, who has repeatedly stressed the importance of team unity, was, according to our information, extremely angry at what he saw and heard. Ferrari cannot afford to leave the rules of engagement between team-mates in the drivers’ hands,” AutoRacer stated firmly.

One small positive for Ferrari is that Kimi Antonelli’s success and another Grand Prix the very next weekend have eased the pressure on the team a little. Yet the Scuderia’s fiasco still made headlines amid the title celebrations for the young Italian sensation, and it is clear that questions about the disappointment in Mexico will follow the team to Brazil.

Either way, Ferrari will have plenty to put right in Sao Paulo. “Every victory or podium finish lost to internal disputes only increases the pressure on the Scuderia,” AutoRacer pointed out.