Charles Leclerc was unable to fulfill his media obligations this Thursday at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver, feeling unwell, preferred to stay away from the track and recover for Friday.
« Charles is feeling unwell and will not come to the circuit today. He will rest and focus on his recovery, and we expect to see him in the car tomorrow », Ferrari stated in a declaration on their social media.
The exact nature of his indisposition remains unknown. The Monegasque driver, who was not scheduled for the FIA press conference, was nevertheless supposed to meet with journalists in the paddock. He will make his first appearance on the Imola track directly on Friday, just before the first free practice session.
If the absence of a driver during media day is always noticed, it is not uncommon in F1. Indeed, drivers must be present on Thursday to speak with the press and especially participate in technical meetings with their teams, but those suffering from health issues sometimes prefer to sacrifice their media obligations in order to recover and be operational from the first laps.
Charles is feeling unwell and will not be coming to the track today. He will rest and focus on recovering and we expect him to be in the car tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/uJMLidJT67
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 15, 2025
An important weekend for Ferrari at home
The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is the first of two Italian races of the season and is therefore a particularly important event for Ferrari in front of its home crowd. The Italian team is counting heavily on this circuit, whose layout seems better suited to the characteristics of the SF-25, to make a comeback.
The beginning of the 2025 season has been particularly challenging for the Scuderia. Despite a resurgence of optimism at the end of 2024 and the addition of Lewis Hamilton, the performances of the SF-25 have so far not lived up to the stated ambitions. Leclerc is currently in fifth place in the championship, with his best result being a podium in Saudi Arabia.
Hamilton, for his part, is struggling to find his footing. The red single-seater doesn’t really suit his style, limiting the exploitation of his potential compared to his teammate. The Briton is trying to adapt, but the overall lack of performance and some questionable strategic choices by the team are weighing down the results.
Indeed, the Miami Grand Prix ended on a mixed note with a seventh and eighth place, as well as a controversy regarding team orders. Leclerc had to exchange positions twice with his teammate in the final laps of the race. This weekend in Imola will therefore be a new opportunity for the Ferrari drivers to bounce back and aim for strong performances.
