The words slammed into the paddock like a slap in the face. A few months before the launch of the 2026 season of Formula 1At a time when Ferrari is already under pressure, a voice from the Scuderia's golden age has rekindled internal tensions. Speaking to NewsF1, Luigi Mazzola, Michael Schumacher's former race engineer, didn't mince his words about Ferrari president John Elkann, questioning his legitimacy to speak publicly about F1.
A presidential exit that doesn't go down well
It all began with John Elkann's statements after the very complicated Brazilian Grand Prix, marked by the double retirement of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. At the time, the Ferrari president invited his drivers to "talk less and concentrate more on driving". A phrase that divided observers and tifosi alike: some saw it as a necessary call to order, others as ill-advised, even counter-productive, communication. Among the latter, Luigi Mazzola. An emblematic figure of the Ferrari of the Schumacher years, the Italian engineer believes that this public statement crossed a red line.
"You don't wash your dirty laundry in public".
Interviewed by NewsF1, Mazzola gives a very political reading of Elkann's comments. In his view, this type of message is not simply a matter of passing annoyance, but a much more calculated strategy. When you express yourself like this in the media," he explains, "you're not just analyzing a sporting situation: you're targeting someone, preparing the ground for what's to come. For the former engineer, internal problems must be settled in private, away from microphones and cameras. This is an unwritten rule in the major Formula 1 teams, and even more so when it comes to Ferrari.
In no uncertain terms, Luigi Mazzola attacked the credibility of the president of the Scuderia on the sports field:
"Elkann has as much experience in Formula 1 as I have in economics, which is to say virtually none."
A scathing statement, echoed throughout the European press. For Mazzola, the timing was all the more incomprehensible given that Ferrari had just enjoyed immense success in endurance racing, with a double drivers' and constructors' title in the WEC. An ideal moment, in his view, to enhance the brand's image, rather than publicly question its F1 drivers.
"He's no Montezemolo
Last but not least, the comparison with Luca di Montezemolo. For Luigi Mazzola, John Elkann has neither the symbolic weight nor the sporting authority of the former Ferrari president. His words, he believes, do not have the same impact, nor the same ability to unite or move the Scuderia forward.
These statements come at a pivotal time. The 2026 season is fast approaching, with the introduction of new technical regulations designed to reshuffle the deck. Ferrari is playing for big stakes, both in sporting and symbolic terms.
English 
French 
Italian 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
German 
Japanese 
Turkish 
Dutch
It's true that Luca di Montezemolo knew F1 better, he knew Enzo too, but that little idiot Elkan wanted to be the king and he's as bad at Ferrari as he is at Stellantis.
Above all, it's the difference between a passionate man - Di Montezemolo - and a financier - ElkanN. Di Montezemolo was literally "inhabited" by Ferrari, while Elkann sees it as a money pump.
Ferrari, are you going to make a competitive and reliable F1 car with your 2 drivers? And especially with an Arr train that hooks on all circuits, the show is fine Beau but the regular win is what we want to see! JMB fan of Hamilton's Ferrari.