Former Michael Schumacher race engineer Luigi Mazzola did not hold back in his criticism of Ferrari chairman John Elkann.“Elkann has about as much Formula 1 expertise as I have in economics — basically none, honestly very little”- Luigi Mazzola
In the aftermath of Ferrari’s disastrous Brazilian Grand Prix — which ended in a double DNF — Elkann sparked plenty of debate with some pointed remarks aimed at his drivers, urging them to “talk less and focus on driving more.”
Reacting to those remarks in a conversation with NewsF1, Luigi Mazzola felt the comments could have been avoided: “Dirty laundry should be washed at home — it’s obvious. When you say something like that publicly, politically speaking you’re already taking a shot at someone. Usually, when you do things like this, it’s because you’re targeting someone in order to shape what happens next.
Mazzola believes Elkann missed a golden opportunity to celebrate Ferrari’s double triumph in the WEC, instead choosing to make comments that were out of place — while drawing a pointed and telling comparison in the process.
Photo: RacePictures.
“Elkann has about as much Formula 1 expertise as I have in economics — basically none, honestly very little. He came out with that line at a moment when he could have scored some big points by celebrating the WEC success: you’re there, you’ve won the drivers’ title, the constructors’ title — why go and talk about Formula 1 at all?
“Those words may not even have come directly from him — they were probably suggested to him. Certain figures are clearly fed specific lines. Of course it doesn’t do the team any good, but it’s also true that he’s no Montezemolo. He’s not someone whose words can really have that much influence. That’s how I see it.”
Leclerc faces sharp criticism from ex-Ferrari driverThe former Italian driver, best known for helping Niki Lauda escape the fireball after his horrific Nürburgring Nordschleife crash in 1976, did not mince his words when it came to Charles Leclerc.
Arturo Merzario argued that “Leclerc ended up occupying a seat at Ferrari that, at the time, he simply didn’t deserve,” before adding that “he’s a very good driver, like many others,” and insisting that “he’s not special.”
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