Charles Leclerc admitted after Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix that his weekend at Imola had been a bitter pill to swallow after a disheartening Saturday and a challenging run to P6 on race day.
After a disappointing qualifying that saw him eliminated in Q2 and forced to start 11th, Leclerc battled hard throughout Sunday’s race, taking risks and racing aggressively in front of Ferrari’s home crowd.
But the effort yielded only a handful of points, and none of the satisfaction he so desperately seeks as he faces a growing deficit in the title fight.
Pushing to the Limit, but With Little Reward
Leclerc’s race was a study in controlled aggression, a driver pushing the boundaries of his car and the rules to claw back positions.
“I was saying before the race, it was one of the races where you've got to race with the heart and you've got to put the elbows out a little bit,” he explained.
“I know that when it's like this, you go very much on the limit, sometimes a little bit over. But when you are starting P11, I mean, as a driver, I just cannot accept the situation we are in.”
©Ferrari
The Monegasque’s frustration was visible not just in his result, but in his combative driving, including tight battles with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. He was unrepentant about his approach, emphasizing that he gave everything he had in the cockpit.
“I took risks. I don't think that with Pierre Gasly, I was particularly at fault over the limit. It was just a racing incident in the way it was.
“With Alex, it was very much on the limit for sure. I thought that in the way the rules are written, I was right on the limit of those rules.”
Read also: Hamilton finds ‘synergy' with Ferrari after remarkable P4 in Imola“I've got to check the images again, but I don't regret anything I've done. I mean, today was all about giving it all. And I knew from the moment that I didn't take the pitstop on the second safety car that it was going to be a very difficult race.”
Leclerc’s sixth-place finish leaves him 85 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. So far this season, he has only stood once on the podium – a third place in Saudi Arabia – and the gap to the front continues to widen.
Monaco Worries Loom
As the calendar now moves to Monaco – a track where Leclerc ended his winless streak last year in spectacular fashion – the local hero isn't optimistic about his chances of a repeat victory.
In fact, he believes the SF-25’s characteristics could be significantly exposed by the tight, twisty streets of Monte Carlo.
When asked about his expectations for the upcoming round, Leclerc said that he was expecting “a very difficult weekend”.
“I think Monaco is exposing quite a few weaknesses of our car, so I don't know, but there are also many things that you cannot really expect.
“The amount of risk you take in qualifying, the car is set up in a very different way, so I hope we will be surprised.”
As Ferrari continue to chase Red Bull and McLaren in both pace and consistency, Leclerc’s discontent is a stark reminder that all is not well in Maranello – and patience, even from one of their most loyal sons, may be wearing thin.
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Leclerc laments Ferrari’s form: ‘I just cannot accept the situation’ F1i.com.
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