Disappointment at Home

In a shocking turn of events during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc expressed that he was left with "no words" to describe Ferrari's dismal qualifying performance. Both he and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton were eliminated from Q2, finishing in P11 and P12 respectively, much to the dismay of their fans.

A Dramatic Qualifying Session

The atmosphere was electric at Imola, but the excitement quickly turned to despair. The qualifying session began with chaos, witnessing two crashes in Q1. As the tension built in Q2, Leclerc and Hamilton were on the brink of elimination, only to be bumped out by a surprising strategy from Aston Martin, who capitalized on a switch to medium tires and snatched spots in the top 10 away from the Scuderia.

Leclerc's Painful Admission

After the session, Leclerc's disappointment was palpable. "It hurts to perform this way in front of our home crowd," he lamented. "This weekend was supposed to be special for us, but all we can do is apologize to our fans. We’re just not good enough right now, and we need to improve. That’s all I can say at this moment." Despite showing promise in race trim, Leclerc remained realistically cautious about his chances in the race, saying, "We start from P11, and unless something crazy happens, it will be tough to climb up the ranks."

Hamilton Shares the Heartache

Hamilton echoed Leclerc's disappointment, feeling devastated over the missed opportunity. "It’s been tough," he shared with Sky Sports. "I feel gutted that we couldn’t advance. We’ve made real progress this weekend, with the car feeling better and more balanced. But for some reason, when we put on new tires, we just couldn’t find the grip we needed." His frustrations were compounded by the effort of his team who had worked tirelessly throughout the weekend.

A Challenging Race Ahead

Looking ahead to race day, both drivers recognized the uphill battle they face. Hamilton reflected on the challenge of overtaking at Imola, stating, "It’s a difficult track to pass on. Even if there’s a safety car or incidents, it’s hard to make up positions. We’ll need to fight hard just to get into the top 10 with the rapid cars that lie ahead of us."

What’s Next?

With high hopes dashed, Leclerc and Hamilton now turn their focus to the race, praying for a chance to turn their fortunes around. As they prepare to battle against the odds, one thing is certain: both drivers and their teams will be fighting harder than ever to reclaim lost glory before their home fans.