Ferrari And Charles Leclerc Face More Bad News With Looming Grid Penalty At Saudi Arabian GP

Charles Leclerc is facing a grid penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc could be facing a grid penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 2023 F1 season kicked off with a bang, but for Leclerc and Ferrari, it was more like a loud engine failure. Leclerc had to retire early from the Bahrain Grand Prix due to an energy store and control unit failure, leaving fans and team members wondering what went wrong.

Leclerc had high hopes for the race, but those dreams were shattered on Lap 40 when his Ferrari SF-23 experienced an engine-related issue. The problem cost him a podium finish, as he had to exit the race behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Before the Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari was already on edge as they had to replace Leclerc's control electronics and energy store components after analysing the data from his power unit. Despite these changes, the engine still failed, which left the team scratching their heads.

Leclerc's DNF was caused by an energy store and control unit failure, and unfortunately, these parts cannot be recovered. This means that Leclerc will face a grid penalty at some point during the 2023 season. 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 at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Despite the setback, Leclerc and Ferrari are determined 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 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the next big F1 event on the calendar, taking place on March 17-19.