Pressure mounts for Ferrari's Hamilton and Leclerc to deliver at Imola
Image: AFP
While 18-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli is excited about experiencing his first home race, Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc must be dreading the fear of disappointing their home crowd.
Imola is one of two home races on the calendar for Ferrari, next to Monza, and obviously attracts a sea of red supporters and with it, added pressure to deliver.
A level of pressure that's already been brewing to the surface since the start of the season, especially for Hamilton, who was touted as the Tifosi's next messiah.
But its been a shaky start for Hamilton, with a Sprint win in China the highest accolade he's earned at Ferrari this season.
Leclerc, on the other hand, pulled off a decent drive at the Saudi Arabian GP to take the first podium for Ferrari this season in P3.
Points and performance have been sorely lacking under Fred Vasseur's reign this season, with no hope in sight.
Besides the performance aspects of Ferrari, their strategies and communication on the track this season have been questionable, at the very least.
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With the European segment of the F1 calendar kicking off this Sunday at Imola, Hamilton doesn't know what to expect out of the SF-25 but hoping to get a podium finish.
'I have no idea; I don't know what to expect. That's obviously what we're working towards, but it's not something I expect this weekend.
'If you've seen our past races, the positions we've been in, we start the weekend really optimistic and then (there's) the realisation of our true pace. I don't know what the pace is going to be like this weekend.
'I'm hoping we're able to extract more from the car, and that's what we've been working towards these past two weeks. To get a good result, to get finally on the podium for Ferrari, that would be a first for me,' the seven-time world champion said.
Hamilton said he's trying to treat this race like any other, but suspects the overwhelming crowds of red will change things as the weekend progresses.
'Of course, when I see the Tifosi, when I see people in the crowds, it probably will become more of a realisation that they're actually looking at me this time as opposed to me out in a different car,' he added.
Leclerc, on the other hand, is under the weather for the home race, and missed his media duties on Thursday, but Ferrari confirmed he will be back in the paddock on Friday.
'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,' Ferrari told a F1 publication.
Ferrari find themselves competing with Max Verstappen for fourth place on the constructor standings, given the fact that Red Bull do not have a second driver that is able to keep up.
Ferrari are just 11 points behind Red Bull on the Constructors' standings, and depending on how both teams' cars act up this weekend, there is likely to be a shift within the lower top order.
Mercedes are comfortable in second place, while McLaren are lightyears ahead of the rest of the pack when it comes to the Constructors.
Leclerc has put up a decent fight with the SF-25, and is fifth with 55 championship points, while Hamilton still finds his feet on 41 points.
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