Charles Leclerc calls for Ferrari “unity” after chairman John Elkann’s comments

Charles Leclerc has called for Ferrari to remain united following a difficult weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Ferrari saw both of their cars retire from Sunday’s race at Interlagos.

Leclerc was caught up in a collision between Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1.

The Monegasque’s front suspension was damaged and his front-left tyre came off, ending his race immediately.

Lewis Hamilton also endured a difficult weekend, failing to make it into the top 10 in either qualifying session.

He was involved in two collisions on the opening lap of the grand prix, resulting in significant damage.

The damage affected the handling of his Ferrari, making it very difficult to drive for Hamilton.

He ultimately retired from the race, marking another poor weekend for the seven-time world champion.

Ferrari’s difficult outing in Sao Paulo, which saw them drop to fourth in the constructors’ championship, sparked some unusual comments from chairman John Elkann.

Elkann, who has led Ferrari since 2018, urged Leclerc and Hamilton to “talk less” and focus on driving.

Elkann said: “Ferrari wins when it is united, and the result in WEC has taught us that.

“When everyone works together, great things can be achieved. Brazil was a huge disappointment. In Formula 1, we have mechanics who are always top in executing pit stops.

“The engineers work to improve the car. The rest is not up to par. We have drivers who need to focus on driving, talk less, and remember that important races lie ahead – and it’s not impossible to finish second.

“This is the most important message coming from Bahrain: when Ferrari is a team, we win.”

Leclerc responds

Leclerc took to his Instagram account on Monday evening to post his usual post-weekend review.

In his message, Leclerc stressed the importance of “unity” to help turn the situation around.

Ferrari have now fallen well behind Mercedes and Red Bull in the fight for second in the constructors’ championship.

“A very difficult weekend in Sao Paulo,” Leclerc wrote. “Disappointing to come back home with nearly no points at all for the team in what is a critical moment of the season to fight for the 2nd place in the constructors championship.

“It’s uphill from now and it’s clear that only unity can help us turn that situation around in the last 3 races. We’ll give it all, as always.”