Formula 1: 5 worst moments of Ferrari’s lost season
Ferrari’s worst moments of 2022: No. 4 – Irritation at Imola
The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix wasn’t necessarily the fault of Ferrari as much as it was the fault of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, but nonetheless, it was a race which left the team asking, “what if?” yet again.
A soaked track in Italy led to poor visibility among anyone not in front, and Carlos Sainz Jr. was the unlucky one who wasn’t able to continue after the first lap. Ricciardo drove straight into Sainz as Sainz turned, pushing the Ferrari into the gravel. Sainz spun the tires in an attempt to get back onto the track, but he was unable to move, forcing him to retire.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was having an impressive race in third up until lap 53, when he got a little too aggressive on the sausage kerb at turn 14 and spun into the wall. He was able to continue racing, but front wing damage forced him to pit on the next lap. After coming out of the pit lane in ninth, he was able to make his way up to sixth.
I gave it all but went over the limit at the end. Sorry to the team and to all the tifosi that supports us. Instead of a P3, it ended up in a P6. We’ll come back stronger.
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) April 24, 2022
The result was huge for Red Bull, which gained 38 points on Ferrari at the conclusion of the weekend. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished first and second, respectively, and the Red Bulls took away 14 points during the sprint. Ferrari led the standings by just 11 points then, even after Red Bull failed to score any points in Bahrain.