FERRARI’S F1 title hopes are set to take a huge blow.
That’s because Charles Leclerc is facing a TEN-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc is set for a ten-place grid penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix
The Frenchman is already 34 points off leader Max Verstappen – despite being ahead by 46 points after the first three races.
But he is set to fall further behind by paying for the recent issues with his car.
Leclerc’s Ferrari started SMOKING during the Azerbaijan GP after being hit by yet another power unit failure – his second in three races.
Despite leading at the time, Leclerc was forced to drop out of the race on lap 20.
And Giuliano Duchessa claims Leclerc will now be provided with his third power unit of the season.
The Frenchman will also receive his fourth turbocharger of the year.
And each change carries a grid penalty of five positions.
It means Red Bull ace Verstappen is likely to extend his lead at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
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The penalty comes after Leclerc implored Ferrari to sort out his issues quickly.
He said: “It hurts. We really need to look into that for it not to happen again. I can’t really find the right words to describe this.
“It’s very, very disappointing. I don’t know, we really need to look into it.”
Ferrari’s problems don’t end with Leclerc though, as teammate Carlos Sainz was a DNF in Baku.
His vehicle crumbed after a hydraulics problem, which left Sainz fuming.
He moaned: “That’s the main objective and the team knows this, that we need to improve on this side.
“But we have been pretty good on reliability on my side but we have just been a bit unlucky the whole season and it has been quite difficult to get any momentum going this season.
PAIN FOR SAINZ
“I cannot do two consecutive races without anything happening and the DNF in lap 9, you need laps and I need laps and to complete races to keep understanding the car.
“It is a shame but we are a team and we are going to stay united and stay positive because I am sure better days will come.”
But Ferrari believe they have found a short-term fix for Sainz.
They tweeted this week: “A challenging weekend for the team, but one that we’ll look to learn and build from.
“Charles’ engine arrives at the factory tomorrow, an initial assessment should be completed by the evening.
“Hydraulic components from Carlos’ car have already been examined.
“A short-term fix is in place for Canada, while work is ongoing on mid/long-term solutions.
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“We continue to be fully motivated. Our ambitions are still high, our aim hasn’t changed.
“These moments shape us, as individuals and as a group.”
