F1 News: How Charles Leclerc Avoided Mexican GP Penalty And Kept Podium Finish

Ferrari had some explaining to do before the FIA.

Charles Leclerc secured his P3 position despite an FIA investigation that required representatives of Ferrari to visit the stewards' room to examine if their driver had been running an unsafe car after the incident on Lap 1 of the Mexican Grand Prix. 

Leclerc's SF23 made contact with Sergio Perez's RB19 on the outside of Turn 1. The force of the impact was intense enough to launch the Red Bull car high up in the air before it crashed with heavy force. Eventually, Perez made it to the pits but endured another DNF this season.

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However, as a result of the collision, a part of the SF-23's front wing was left hanging but luckily, before a pit stop was ordered by the governing body, Ferrari's problem was solved automatically when the part detached and fell off on its own.

The team predicted that Leclerc was losing 10 to 15 downforce points as a result of the damaged front wing. But with luck being on the Monégasque driver's side for the second time, the front wing was replaced under red flag conditions later in the race. 

However, the FIA was not convinced that Ferrari was unknowingly running an unsafe car and hence, a representative from the squad was summoned to explain their side of the story. 

The meeting with the stewards involved FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis, technical delegate Jo Bauer, and the team representative who explained that the team was running a safe car at all times. 

What saved the team from being penalized by the governing body was the detachment of the end plate on lap 3. In October 2022, the FIA announced that the detachment of an end plate and the location of its final landing spot, was not to be deemed unsafe and thus, no penalty was required to be levied. 

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