Leclerc hit with huge penalty for Saudi GP as Ferrari woes continue

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a 10-place grid penalty to deal another hammer blow to his chances of catching Max Verstappen. The Monegasque star has endured a nightmare start to the 2023 campaign after retiring from the curtain raiser in Bahrain 10 days ago and now faces being left behind by Red Bull and Mercedes in the championship.

Leclerc was forced to retire from third place during the race when an issue arose with his car’s electronic control unit (ECU), costing him and the team 15 points in the process. He had already used one of the parts on Saturday after a similar failure occurred during qualifying.

Carlos Sainz came home in fourth to salvage some pride for Ferrari, but their dismay was only exacerbated by Red Bull’s dominant one-two finish in Bahrain, which means Ferrari are already 31 points adrift in the Constructors’ championship.

And now, Leclerc faces an uphill task of scoring points at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah on Sunday as he will start with a 10-place grid drop.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur said on Wednesday that Leclerc’s car had two problems with the ECU on race day, meaning he will need to have a third fitted for the race on Sunday. Drivers are restricted to two ECUs for an entire season, meaning Leclerc will be heavily penalised and he could face more grid drops later in the season too.

The French boss admitted he had never experienced such misfortune with one part so early in the season, but is optimistic Ferrari have found the answer to the problem.

“It is something we have never experienced in the past and I hope now it is under control,” Vasseur said. “But unfortunately we will have to take the penalty in Jeddah because we only have a pool of two ECUs for the season.”

MORE TO FOLLOW

We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

For the latest news and breaking news visit: express.co.uk/sport/football. Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @dexpress_sport – the official Daily Express & Express.co.uk Twitter account – providing real news in real time.

We’re also on Facebook @dailyexpresssport – offering your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day to like, comment and share from the Daily Express, Sunday Express and Express.co.uk.