17 April 2023 , 15:00
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John Elkann promised Ferrari shareholders "profound changes" in the wake of a poor start to the new Formula 1 season – and public criticism from his own brother.
According to Italian publication Formula Passion, Ferrari executive chairman Elkann has sent a letter to shareholders explaining the company's financial results from 2022. In it, he pledged: "Among the walls of Maranello, profound changes are taking place, particularly in strengthening sports activity on the track."
Ferrari have endured a difficult start to the new season and sit fourth in the constructors' championship with just 26 points from the first three races. The Australian Grand Prix was particularly difficult for a team with title ambitions, but which failed to take home a single point.
Charles Leclerc's race was over within seconds as he was spun around at the first corner and beached his car in the gravel trap. Carlos Sainz finished the Grand Prix, but a late penalty awarded for spinning Fernando Alonso with two laps to go saw him drop out of the points positions.
The team has since lodged a right of review request with the FIA, which will be heard on Tuesday. The team feels the penalty awarded to Sainz was harsh, considering the race finished behind a safety car and Alonso did not lose any places as a result of the contact between the two Spaniards.
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In his message to Ferrari shareholders, Elkann did not explicitly mention the team's unsatisfactory results so far this season, there was a clear indication that the team needs to set a new course if it is to live up to its unquestionable ambition.
The letter comes following public criticism from younger brother, Lapo Elkann, on social media. He wrote: "Ferrari needs seriousness and a winning team in the pits and outside. It's time to WAKE UP, enough with politics and games like this – WE WILL NEVER WIN."
He went on to add a second message to that which might have left his brother even more red-faced. In a now deleted reply to his original post, Lapo Elkann also slammed one of Ferrari's most prominent sponsors, writing: "Santander for me [is a] terrible bank."
Team principal Frederic Vasseur has only been in charge of the Scuderia for a few months but is already beginning to make his own organisational changes. His biggest move so far was to remove former strategy chief Inaki Rueda from his track-side post, and replace him with Ravin Jain.