Charles Leclerc is in serious danger of starting the Canadian GP ten positions behind his best time in qualifying on Saturday. Ferrari has confirmed that the Baku power unit has irreparable damage
Ferrari starts the weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix with a serious problem stemming from the last round in Azerbaijan. The Italian team has confirmed that the engine problems in Charles Leclerc's car, which caused the Monegasque to retire from the race in Baku, are "beyond repair," meaning that the driver risks losing ten grid positions in Sunday's race if the replacement is confirmed.
Leclerc was leading the race last Sunday when his engine blew up. The #16's exit was added to that of teammate Carlos Sainz, who had already left the race early due to a hydraulic problem, causing the Ferrari to leave the Azeri track with nothing left.
The power unit used in Azerbaijan had the internal combustion engine from the Spanish round, but refurbished and approved for use. "The investigation has confirmed that Charles' power unit used in Baku has damage beyond repair," Ferrari said.
"One possible cause of this failure is that it would have occurred as a result of the power unit problems in Spain," the team continued, referring to Leclerc's first crash of the season in Barcelona. "We are now working on countermeasures to strengthen the package, and the situation is under control," it concluded.
The attempt to save Leclerc from possible punishment is an entirely new engine configuration for Montreal, as the power unit system used in Baku was deemed unrepairable. Even so, as the driver is already on his third engine in use, he is still in serious danger of starting the Canadian GP ten places behind the time he earned in qualifying.Even so, as he is already on his third engine, he still runs serious risks of starting the Canadian Grand Prix ten places behind the time he achieved in Saturday's qualifying, since the regulation determines such a punishment if the new changeover happens.
Leclerc has not won since the Australian GP, the third round of the World Championship. The Monegasque had two pit stops and saw his main rival Max Verstappen take the lead, but also lost second place to Sergio Pérez.