Hamilton denies Ferrari friction after Elkann criticism

LAS VEGAS :Lewis Hamilton has dismissed suggestions of friction within Ferrari after team chairman John Elkann's recent comments that he and teammate Charles Leclerc should "focus on driving and talk less".

Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix, the seven-times world champion said he had not taken Elkann's comments personally and remained in regular contact with the Ferrari chief.

"John and I, we speak almost every week, so we have a great relationship," Hamilton said when asked about Elkann's remarks.

"I didn't have a reaction to it. We look into those things too much."

Leclerc echoed Hamilton's comments, saying he viewed the remarks as a reflection of Elkann's desire to win.

"I know John is a very ambitious person and wants to push everyone to the maximum to get the maximum results," he said.

"He loves Ferrari, I love Ferrari, we all love Ferrari and we try to do the best in every situation."

Ferrari suffered a double retirement in Sao Paulo on Sunday, their third race of the season without either driver in the points.

Close runners-up to McLaren last season, they have slipped to fourth in the constructors' standings - behind champions McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.

Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari, said responsibility for their struggles was shared across the organization. But despite their ups and downs this season, the Briton said there were no problems with team harmony.

"I joined this team knowing full well that it takes time to steer a ship in a different direction," he said.

"This is a huge team. There are so many little parts and we can't fix it quickly. It takes real time."

The setbacks had only underlined his and Ferrari's resilience, he added.

"It's like we're climbing up a