€5,000 fine for Ferrari for Charles Leclerc infringement during the F1 Imola GP free practice
Ferrari was off to a bad start at the Emilia Romagna GP after the FIA fined the Prancing Horse following a breach in the FIA Formula 1 sporting regulations. As a result of the same, the FIA handed the team a fine of €5,000 or £4,200.
As per reports, Leclerc's SF-25 breached the regulations after the car's tire pressure did not abide by the guidelines set by the governing body. During Friday's Free Practice session at Imola (May 16), Leclerc's car was checked, and the tires of his SF-25 were found to have flouted the rules.
The F1 tire supplier, Pirelli, has set strict limits on the tire pressures, and temperature for the safety of the tires. During this, it also monitors how the pressures are adjusted. However, Leclerc's car breached Article 30.5 a) of the FIA F1 regulations.
Stating the same, the FIA released a statement:
"The team representative admitted that these procedures were not followed, which is a breach of Article 30.5 a) of the FIA Formula One Sporting regulations. The stewards note that this was during a free practice session."
F1 arrived at Imola for the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP, the first Italian race. It is a place where Ferrari usually gets enormous support being the home team. But Charles Leclerc and co. had little to show for on Friday (May 16).
How did Ferrari fare during Free Practice sessions at Emilia Romagna GP?
Ferrari had an underwhelming outing during Friday's Free Practice sessions. The two Prancing Horse drivers weren't able to break into the top three in either of the sessions. In FP1, Lewis Hamilton was the lead Maranello driver with P5.
He was 0.096 seconds slower than Oscar Piastri, the driver in P1. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc finished the session in P12 and was 0.523 seconds slower than Piastri. The scenes did not improve much in FP2, as the Ferrari drivers had yet another underwhelming outing.
Leclerc finished the session in P6, and was 0.475 seconds slower than Piastri (who was P1 again), whereas Hamilton ended his outing in P11. The Briton was 0.650 seconds slower. As Piastri topped both sessions, his teammate, Lando Norris, finished as the runner-up both times.
The Italian team is currently in P4 in the Constructors' Championship with 94 points. Ferrari is trailing McLaren (246 points), Mercedes (141 points), and Red Bull (105 points).
Charles Leclerc, is in P5 in the Drivers' Championship with 53 points, and Lewis Hamilton is in P7 with 41 points. Oscar Piastri leads the championship with 131 points, followed by his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, and reigning champion Max Verstappen.