John Elkann, Ferrari chairman, criticised the drivers of the Scuderia, saying that they should "talk less" and implying they have not been up to the standards compared to the engineers. "If we look at the season in F1, we can say we have mechanics who are winning the championship with the performances they're putting in, particularly with everything they are doing in our pit stops.
"If we look at our engineers, the car has undoubtedly improved. If we look at the rest, it's not up to standard. We have drivers who need to focus more and talk less, because we still have important races to come, and finishing second in the constructors isn't impossible" (via Sky Sports).
Elkann is CEO of Exor, the holding company with controlling stakes in Ferrari and also in Juventus FC, The Economist Group, CNH Industrial, and Iveco Group. He said it during an event with the Italian Olympic Committee, ahead of the Winter Olympics Game next year in Milan-Cortina. It comes after either Ferrari drivers failed to finish the Sunday's Brazil Grand Prix: both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc retired due to damages suffered by their cars.
Hamilton said that his season has been a nightmare. Earlier in the summer, he said he was "absolutely useless", which increased speculation and debate that his days as a F1 driver are numbered, and some criticism for his derrotist attitude.