How Ferrari can make Lewis Hamilton ‘unstoppable’ amid ‘talk less’ president demand
Lewis Hamilton can be "unstoppable" at Ferrari with the right tools, says Juan Pablo Montoya
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced some tough love from Ferrari president John Elkann following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, blunt comments which were heard around the world of motorsport.
With both drivers urged to “focus on driving, talk less” after a double DNF at Interlagos, seven-time grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya says that Hamilton will be “unstoppable” if he feels the Ferrari machine truly behind him.
Ferrari urged to unlock ‘unstoppable’ Lewis Hamilton
It has not been the first season in Ferrari red which Hamilton had hoped for when he arrived from Mercedes. He is facing the growing prospect of finishing the season without a podium for the first time in his F1 career, and has fallen 66 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ standings.
Yet, both drivers were caught up in a blunt statement issued by Ferrari president John Elkann after the Italian marque wrapped up the World Endurance Championship title double.
In what sources within Ferrari suggested was an attempt at motivation, the president stated that: “In Formula 1, we have mechanics who are always first in performing pit stops. The engineers work to improve the car.
“The rest is not up to par.”
He then pointed to Hamilton and Leclerc, saying Ferrari “have drivers who need to focus on driving, talk less.”
But, the true key to rediscovering the record-setting Lewis Hamilton of old, as per Montoya, is to give him the tools, and for Ferrari to get behind him with the same energy that Hamilton is putting into trying to restore title-winning ways to the Scuderia.
“I think Lewis Hamilton has a point to prove, he won’t lie down and submit to defeat,” Montoya told a gambling platform. “He will win the championship or die trying, as they say. Hamilton will give it a big push next year.
“Hamilton’s frustration is due to him thinking he’s doing more than what Ferrari are doing for him. I think he feels he’s putting in a lot of effort to try make things work, but the team aren’t matching that energy.
“Give Hamilton the right tools and he’ll be there competing at the top.
“When things click and the motivation to compete is back, oh my god, Hamilton will be unstoppable.
“There’s no chance that he’ll quit and retire any time soon. He won’t want his legacy tarnished as the guy who didn’t make it.”
Montoya added: “The faster Ferrari’s team and engineers listen to Hamilton on how to make the car better, the better it will be for the team in the long term.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc head-to-head in F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
Hamilton re-affirmed his continued commitment to the Ferrari cause in a social media post, one which could easily be viewed as a response to Elkann’s words.
“I back my team. I back myself,” he posted.
“I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever. Thank you, Brazil, always.”
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