Ferrari chair issues striking statement as Piastri questions penalty – round-up
Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been in the headlines for comments over the team's F1 operation.
It has been a very busy post-race Monday for F1 news, and we have lots to catch you up on from the weekend.
There is plenty of post-race reaction from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but we start with Ferrari…
Ferrari chairman: Team ‘not up to par’
Ferrari chairman John Elkann gave remarks in Milan on Monday expressing his disappointment at the team’s double DNF in Brazil, and how they need to rally together to achieve success in Formula 1.
By doing that, though, he urged both drivers to “talk less” and keep focus on the track.
“In Formula 1, we have mechanics who are always first in performing pit stops. The engineers work to improve the car,” he said.
“The rest is not up to par. We have drivers who need to focus on driving, talk less, and we have important races ahead of us, and it is not impossible to finish second.”
Read more: Ferrari ‘not up to par’ as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton urged to ‘talk less’
Oscar Piastri ‘can’t just disappear’ in penalty question
Handed a 10-second penalty for his role in tagging Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 in Sao Paulo, Oscar Piastri doubled down on his belief that he should not have been punished, having telegraphed his move from the restart at Interlagos.
“Yes, there was a lock-up, but I was firmly on the apex, on the white line. I couldn’t go any further left, and I can’t just disappear,” he said.
“So, the decision is what it is, was one of a number of difficult moments through today and this weekend. But, yeah, I wouldn’t have done anything differently if I had another chance.”
Read more: Oscar Piastri challenges Brazilian GP penalty in ‘can’t just disappear’ response
Lewis Hamilton on Ferrari ‘nightmare’ after DNF
Lewis Hamilton admitted recent races at Ferrari have been a “nightmare”, after both he and Charles Leclerc were forced to retire in Sao Paulo.
He told Sky F1 after the race: “I mean this is a nightmare. Been living here for a while.
“Definitely between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results that we’ve had, the ups and downs, it’s challenging.”
Read more: Hamilton living in a Ferrari ‘nightmare’ as ‘dream’ move takes horror turn
Lando Norris elaborates on ‘talking crap’ remark
Lando Norris is wanting to silence those who have been “talking crap” about him this season, and a 24-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship is a good way to do that.
Asked about what that meant in the post-race press conference, Norris replied: “Honestly, nothing in particular, but yeah, there are always people out there who try to bring you down a little bit.
“I guess it’s quite normal, I think, but yeah, just when you’re on a big stage, there are a lot of people who talk and then try and say things to try and influence other people to have effects.”
Read more: Lando Norris elaborates on ‘talking crap’ remark as journalist question prompts immediate example
If you missed it, Max Verstappen caught a Sprint snap
While three drivers were caught on a wet kerb during Saturday’s Sprint at Interlagos, having hefty impacts through the Curva do Sol, Max Verstappen nearly joined them.
Onboard footage shows the Red Bull driver, with Piastri having just gone off ahead, catching a big snap of oversteer through that corner, with Lando Norris having first gone over the kerb and kicked up water.
It was a near-miss for Verstappen, who survived in the Sprint while others crashed out.
Read more: Onboard footage catches Verstappen’s epic save at site of Piastri crash
