Mercedes triumphs, Ferrari struggles: a tally of Elkann’s broken promises

They’re back. Mercedes had been without the ‘Constructors’ title since 2021. But that was a bittersweet victory, marred by Verstappen overtaking Hamilton in a thrilling finale over which many still harbour legitimate suspicions. Toto Wolff’s masterstroke (the ninth world title for Formula 1’s Darth Vader) has, paradoxically, been officially sealed in the only race in which the grey-and-black cars failed to make it onto the podium. Instead, Red Bull occupied two-thirds of it. Once again this year, the soft-drink manufacturer has managed to turn a project that did not get off to the best start into what is probably the best team on the track today. There is surely something to learn from a team that has lost its Team Principal, Horner, and its cynical adviser, Marko, yet has managed to retain a great champion like Max Verstappen by once again providing him with a competitive car. They are probably the hot favourites for next season. The fact that the Dutchman is capable of fighting his way back from 21st on the grid to second place is something which, although we’ve seen him do it before, speaks above all to a class of driver who thrives in changing weather conditions. The late Bernie Ecclestone had in mind to liven up the races by occasionally wetting the track. Madness, of course. But the fact remains that the rollercoaster of emotions provided by the weather at Interlagos is difficult to replicate in consistent conditions. Lando Norris took the win, his third of the season (alongside Russell and Verstappen), despite his usual lacklustre start when the 2025 Champion starts from pole. There, Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson overtook him, while further back Lewis Hamilton staged a saloon-car-style comeback. Footage of the move is likely to be circulated on YouTube and streaming platforms for years to come. In the end, however, the Ferrari driver finished ninth, at the centre of yet another ‘incident’ when it came to changing tyres and fitting the intermediates. It was the same scenario as in Singapore: the same decision to take a gamble that didn’t pay off. In all honesty, the Briton admitted he’d made a mistake, although he was quick to point out that the information from his track engineer had been late and incomplete (regarding the weather conditions).

This is the mood within the team: Leclerc (penalised for a spin involving Lawson and demoted to eighth) said that for nine years the car has struggled in these weather conditions, whilst Hamilton has once again shown that he does not fully trust the instructions he receives from the pit wall. It should be noted that both cars started from the back of the grid after changing parts of the PU (Leclerc) and the entire Power Unit (Hamilton), but they still took a clear step backwards despite having ‘fresh’ engines. The mistake with the tyre pressures at the start is something that deserves to send the pupil to the back of the class with donkey ears. Not that there were any doubts, but with the drivers’ title going to Kimi Antonelli (in Senna’s homeland, a few uncharacteristic slip-ups) and the constructors’ title to Mercedes, John Elkann’s statement – in which he had assured on 10 September 2022 that the Scuderia would win a World Championship (both drivers’ and constructors’) – has definitively fallen flat. It is worth recalling the results from that day onwards. 2022: second in the constructors’ championship, second in the drivers’ championship (Leclerc). 2023: third in the constructors’ championship, fourth in the drivers’ championship (Leclerc). 2024: second in the constructors’ championship, third in the drivers’ championship. 2025: fourth in the constructors’ championship, fifth in the drivers’ championship (Leclerc). In 2026, they will most likely be second in the constructors’ championship again, whilst, at present, the drivers are fourth (Hamilton) and fifth (Leclerc). In 15 days’ time, the series returns to the Las Vegas circuit, after which the FIA and Liberty Media are expected to provide updates on the final two rounds in Qatar (where the motorbikes raced) and Abu Dhabi.