The thousands of fans present at the 4.909-kilometre Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari were left stunned when they saw Ferrari eliminated in Q2. Based on what was seen during Free Practice, the disaster had been looming, but no one expected such a collapse—least of all the drivers themselves, who were left speechless in front of the media. In the face of a sixth-row start, there are no valid excuses, other than the fact that the car is not up to the challenge. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done in the short term, and that makes the atmosphere all the more bitter.
A harsh dose of reality that hurts in the midst of the dream of a World Championship, as also expressed by Charles Leclerc in his team radios. “We need to find a solution as soon as possible, like this it’s impossible,” said the Monegasque during his cool-down lap. At that moment, he didn’t yet know he had been eliminated—only that he hadn’t improved on fresh tyres. “Oh my God,” the driver repeated several times as he returned to the pits, slamming his hands on the steering wheel. He shook his head in dismay, nearly with tears in his eyes. Lewis Hamilton, instead, was almost more diplomatic, stating: “I wasn’t able to improve for some reason,” even apologizing.
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