MONTREAL – by Ferrari Charles Leclerc will face a 10-place grid penalty from wherever he qualified for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ferrari has fitted new parts to his car after he suffered an engine failure while leading the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last week.
The penalty created a huge opportunity for Red Bull and Max Verstappen to extend their lead in the championship.
The F1 engine is divided into six components, with new components of each allowed to be used for a certain period of time before being fined.
Leclerc’s car was fitted with a new engine, MGU-H, MGU-K and electronically controlled ahead of Friday’s practice session in Montreal. Ferrari then fitted another control electronic device to its car after the second practice session ended, exceeding the limit allowed for that component in the regulation.
The change is expected after Ferrari confirmed that the Baku engine cannot be reused.
If Ferrari adds other new components to its vehicles before qualifying, the penalty could increase, with five slots added for each new component from this point on.
That would mean the end of Leclerc’s run of four straight posts, and give Max Verstappen a big chance to extend his championship run.
