The Italian calamity

Ferrari missed the opening race in Italy, a flagship event for the Scuderia.

Ferrari simply cannot afford to make mistakes on its home turf, and this season, it has done so twice. The first misstep occurred at Imola, where the Scuderia failed despite Charles Leclerc's exceptional form and his first place in the drivers' standings, as well as Carlos Sainz's renewed motivation after his retirement in Australia and the signing of a new contract. The atmosphere was electric at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit, with tens of thousands of tifosi packed into the stands. But the weekend turned sour for the Italians when Sainz crashed into the wall during qualifying, and the next day Leclerc lost what seemed like a sure pole position to Max Verstappen.

Both red cars got off to a disastrous start. One Ferrari was forced to retire after just 500 meters, the victim of a Spanish driver who ended up in the gravel, a situation made worse by the involvement of Daniel Ricciardo. Leclerc, on whom all the public's hopes rested, pushed the car too hard and ended up kissing the tire wall, finishing only sixth before the second Ferrari also retired. What could have been a one-two finish for the Prancing Horse turned into a classic Italian disappointment.