Unwell Charles Leclerc skips media day ahead of Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, expected to race

Charles Leclerc is currently in Italy but skipped media day on Thursday ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver wasn’t feeling well and chose to take the day off to rest and recover ahead of the race weekend starting Friday. Ferrari fans have wished him quick recovery on social media. The official X account of Scuderia Ferrari shared a statement regarding Leclerc’s absence from the FIA press conference on Thursday. The statement read: “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.”Some fans expressed concern about whether Leclerc would be fit in time for Friday’s practice session. “Who is the reserve driver if he can’t make it this weekend?” asked one X user. Another said, “Get well Charles, I hope he will be okay to race this weekend.” One more added, “Charles, take plenty of rest and I wish you a speedy recovery.”Others took the opportunity to comment on Ferrari’s underwhelming form this season, especially as new driver Lewis Hamilton continues to struggle with adapting to the car. One F1 fan remarked sarcastically, “I’d be sick too if I had to drive that car.” Another quipped, “He saw the development plan, and felt sick.”Leclerc currently sits fifth in the 2025 F1 Driver Standings with 55 points, two spots ahead of Hamilton, who holds seventh place with 41 points. Leclerc has made it to the podium once this season, finishing third at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah. Hamilton, meanwhile, won the F1 Sprint in China but has yet to claim a podium in a main race.Also Read: Charles Leclerc, who finished the 2025 Australian Grand Prix in eighth, calls for fixes in two key areasFerrari is expected to perform better on home turf in Italy, with the team also anticipated to introduce new car upgrades at Imola starting Friday. If Leclerc’s condition improves, he may speak to the media ahead of the first practice session. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, with the main race on Sunday.