Charles Leclerc Faces Grid Penalty After Disastrous Bahrain Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc is already facing a grid penalty early on in the 2023 season.

Charles Leclerc had a tough start to the F1 2023 season after suffering an engine failure with his Ferrari SF-23 that forced him out of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Fans were left wondering what could have caused such a mishap.

Leclerc, who had high hopes for the race, had to prematurely retire from the grand prix due to an engine-related issue on Lap 40. The failure cost him a probable podium finish behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Prior to the race, Ferrari had already been on edge as they had to replace Leclerc’s control electronics and energy store components after analysing the data from his power unit. Despite the changes made, the engine still failed, leaving the team to question what could have gone wrong.

Leclerc’s DNF was caused by an energy store (ES) and control unit failure. Unfortunately, these parts cannot be recovered, meaning Leclerc will be facing a grid penalty at some point during the 2023 season.

The F1 regulations only allow two energy store elements for the entire season. If the energy store that was changed prior to the race is also deemed unfit for use, Leclerc could face a penalty for the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Ferrari will now be looking to bounce back and make a strong comeback in the next race. They will need to analyse the data from the engine failure to ensure that they can rectify any issues before the next grand prix.

The next important F1 date is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 17-19 March.