Lewis Hamilton encouraged to push for Ferrari change after ‘harsh’ John Elkann comments

Two British former F1 stars have spoken out about Ferrari chairman John Elkann's recent comments which were aimed at seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Elkann said that both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc needed to 'talk less' and focus on their driving in order to help Ferrari secure second place in the constructors' championship in 2025.

The team have not won a single grand prix in 2025, and are currently sat in fourth, 36 points behind Mercedes.

Hamilton himself has not claimed a grand prix podium since joining the team from Mercedes back in January, but nevertheless, both he and Leclerc have been attempting to make changes within the team's operations in order to try and return them to championship-winning ways.

Now, 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill and another British F1 legend in Johnny Herbert have issued their thoughts on Elkann's comments, both suggesting that they were 'harsh'.

"I got the impression that Lewis was in there with the management sort of saying, 'this is not working the way it needs to work, these things can be improved,'" Hill said on the Stay on Track podcast. "So to have gone to the effort to try and make the right changes or get things moving in the right direction and change maybe the culture, coming from Mercedes with his insights. Going to Ferrari and saying one or two things could be better. To now be told they need to shut up is a little harsh perhaps."

Herbert agreed, backing up Hamilton's worth to the Maranello squad, adding: "I think it's very harsh. And with the experience that mainly Lewis [has], because Lewis is the one who's won the world championships with Mercedes and with McLaren, he knows how those teams work. And they work in a very, very methodical way.

"There's always this situation at Ferrari…nothing seems to go.. the puzzle, the pieces are all there. But they're never from the same box."

Hamilton within his right to question Ferrari?

While Hamilton's form has not been spectacular since joining Ferrari, he certainly has more recent experience of claiming championship success than the team themselves.

In fact, since Ferrari last won a title of any kind in 2008 with the constructors' championship, Hamilton was won six championships of his own, and helped another team in Mercedes claim eight constructors' titles.

Both he and Leclerc are desperately trying to improve the team in order for them to have a championship tilt themselves in 2026, when new regulations sweep into the sport.

For Hamilton, it represents an opportunity to banish the current generation of car that he has only managed to claim two grands prix victories in across four seasons, and instead drive a new generation of car that may just suit his talents better.

While for Ferrari, new chassis and power unit regulations represent an opportunity to make the jump on some of their competitors, with a potential shake up of the current competitive order of F1 expected.

READ MORE: 'Lewis Hamilton isn't good enough': Schumacher's brutal reaction to Ferrari drama

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