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Lewis Hamilton is defending his work ethic after Ferrari president John Elkann, in a highly shocking move, said that the drivers need to focus more on driving and less on talking.
The British driver, who did not claim a single podium in his debut year with Ferrari yet, was outspoken after another disappointing race at the last round in Brazil, after which he described his first year as a Ferrari driver as "a nightmare".
Speaking before this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton insisted his relationship with Elkann remained "great", but the focus comment did not sit well with the seven-time champion.
When asked if the remark was fair, Hamilton noted, "Not really, I wake up thinking about it, and I go to sleep thinking about it, and I think about it when I'm sleeping."
He added, "If anything I have to focus on being able to unplug more. It's been a really heavy year. It's been the busiest year that I think I've had. I've been at the factory more than I think I was at any other factory before."
Furthermore, Hamilton pointed out that Ferrari had a long way to go to improve, and "you can't fix it in the click of a finger."
"It takes real time. Of course it's not been what any of us wanted in terms of a season, with the troubles that we've had and the results that we've had. We've just continued to push on, full steam."
Las Vegas is the 22nd race of the 24-meeting season, and there is no indication that Ferrari can expect any great improvement in performance on the street circuit.
Indeed the cold and wet conditions on what is a low-grip track are expected to make it a tricky prospect for all competitors.
Hamilton is currently sixth in the drivers' championship, 66 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.
