Charles Leclerc is about for a 10-place grid penalty on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Ferrari was pressured to suit a brand new battery for the final race of the season.
The Monegasque is hoping to assist Ferrari beat rival McLaren to the constructors’ championship this weekend of their close-fought battle.
Nevertheless, his hopes have suffered a blow with the change of battery which means he has used greater than his allocation for the marketing campaign.
The vitality retailer fitted throughout Friday observe is his third of the yr, which takes him over the allowed two elements – so it turns into an automated 10-place drop.
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Ferrari is 21 factors behind McLaren within the constructors’ championship heading into the Yas Marina occasion, and realistically must ship a 1-2 end within the race to have any hope of overhauling its rival.
Talking forward of monitor motion getting beneath method, Leclerc had stated that there was no room for error within the crew’s execution of the weekend if it was to ship its goal.
“I feel on our facet, we have to do every little thing good, that is for certain,” he stated. “And by doing every little thing good, I actually imply it.
“I feel we have to do first and second this weekend and we want issues to not go precisely the best way they need in McLaren as a result of on paper they are going to be sturdy on this monitor as effectively. It is also true that we have by no means received right here in Abu Dhabi, so there’s numerous work.
“It is not unattainable. I feel we have had the correct strategy in the previous couple of races, and we have taken some factors, even on weekends the place we didn’t anticipate to take action.
“On this weekend we’re a bit extra impartial, and we expect that it should be a optimistic weekend for us so I actually hope that’s the case and that we are able to take that chance with a purpose to win the championship. But it surely’s a stretch for certain.”
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Williams duo Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto can even be taking grid drops for utilizing further elements. Each drivers face a five-place grid penalty after taking further RNCs [restricted-number components] which might be outdoors of their allocation for the yr.
The groups stated this was on account of incidents that happened in Qatar final weekend. Colapinto was hit in a first-corner conflict with Esteban Ocon whereas Albon got here house lapped in fifteenth.
Images from Abu Dhabi GP Apply
On this article
Jonathan Noble
Components 1
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
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