Leclerc facing grid penalty in Baku as Ferrari prepares new engine
Ferrari plans to fit Charles Leclerc with a new, upgraded engine for the Baku Formula 1 race that will exceed the season limit and send him to the back of the grid, while teammate Lewis Hamilton's penalty will be taken at a different round.
Detailed checks have shown that the engine damaged in Charles Leclerc's crash at Monza is in fact still usable. Even so, Ferrari has decided to run it only in Friday practice at the Baku circuit rather than in the race itself.
For the race, Leclerc's car will instead receive a new engine upgraded under the ADUO2 technical regulations, fitted before qualifying. Because this exceeds the number of engine changes allowed for the season, Leclerc will be handed a grid penalty and forced to start from the back of the field.
Baku chosen deliberately
Team principal Fred Vasseur had already indicated that Baku is a suitable venue to absorb such a penalty. The circuit's long main straight and hard braking zone into the first corner create strong overtaking opportunities, which should help limit the damage from starting at the back.
Estimates suggest the new engine will deliver around a 0.2-second-per-lap advantage over the older specification, which could aid the fight for strong finishes later in the season.
Hamilton's penalty pushed to another round
Lewis Hamilton will serve his own engine-related penalty at a separate race weekend. Ferrari wants to avoid taking both drivers' penalties at the same event, so as not to jeopardize the team's standing in the Constructors' Championship, where McLaren is closing in.
The seven-time world champion has been losing further ground to championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' standings following a difficult weekend in Madrid. Mexico or Interlagos are being considered as possible venues for Hamilton's new engine, with Austin also under review. Ferrari must carefully time the switch to give Hamilton the best chance of holding his slim lead over Lando Norris while also protecting the team's second place in the Constructors' Championship.
