John Elkann controversy makes former Ferrari driver share advice from the team's golden era

Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger has attempted to heal wounds after chairman John Elkann's controversial comments. In the aftermath of the Scuderia's double DNF at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Elkann commended the mechanics and engineers for their brilliant work, but felt the drivers weren't holding up their side of the bargain.

The Italian industrialist asked Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to 'talk less and focus on driving.' He compared the F1 squad to Ferrari's championship-winning WEC squad and asked for more 'unity' within the team. While it was unclear which incident drew such a critical comment from him in public, it was enough to spark a massive controversy.

Gerhard Berger highlighted that the spur-of-the-moment comment from John Elkann was a result of the team's continued struggles in 2025, including big-ticket signing Lewis Hamilton's underwhelming first season.

"When success doesn't come, people become more emotional," Berger told La Repubblica. "It's complicated for the mechanics, the engineers, the managers, and even the drivers. Charles Leclerc is working very well, but I'm sure Lewis Hamilton is also trying everything to win another World Championship, which is what he's aiming for, but things aren't working very well at the moment."

Berger drove for Ferrari for six years, in two separate three-year stints. In the second stint from 1994, he was the beneficiary and also a catalyst on the driving front as Jean Todt became general manager of the team and led its resurrection. Sharing advice from that era of the team, which culminated in Michael Schumacher winning five consecutive titles, Berger added:

"It's difficult to judge from the outside. I think the most important thing is to stay calm and aim for continuity, consistency, compactness. I remember that when Jean Todt arrived at Ferrari, it took him years to win the World Championship and then become the strongest of all."

Gerhard Berger gives frank assessment of Ferrari's situation in the constructors' championship

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil - Sprint & Qualifying - Source: Getty

Gerhard Berger also weighed in on Ferrari's plight in the constructors' championship. The Scuderia was in second place, leading Mercedes by one point before the Brazilian GP, but earned only six points in Interlagos on the back of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton securing P5 and P7 in the Sprint race.

Meanwhile, Mercedes had a double podium in the Sprint and a 2-4 result in the feature race, which gave it a 36-point lead over the Scuderia. Moreover, Red Bull also overtook the men in scarlet red on the back of Max Verstappen's sensational drive from the pit lane to the podium.

Berger shone a light on the increased pressure on the Italian team to achieve success in the constructors' championship, saying:

"It's that the expectations on Ferrari are always much higher than the other teams. If they finish the championship fourth, it will be considered insufficient. The problem is that they are very close to second place, a goal that is not impossible but not easy either, yet it is a goal that is required of Ferrari."

The next race weekend is the Las Vegas Grand Prix from November 21 to 23, where Mercedes had a 1-2 finish led by George Russell, and Ferrari finished 3-4 led by Carlos Sainz.