F1 News: Leclerc engine damaged beyond repair, faces engine penalty for Canada

The Azerbaijan GP was disastrous for Ferrari, with both drivers suffering a double-DNF and Red Bull extending their championship lead with a 1-2 finish.

Charles Leclerc's retirement was caused by an engine failure (as opposed to Sainz's hydraulics failure), raising concerns that the Monegasque could face an engine penalty for the Canadian GP.

According to reports from formu1a.uno, Ferrari's second power unit (introduced in Imola for Sainz and Miami for Leclerc) has worse reliability than its previous iteration, evident with both Ferrari and its customer teams in recent events.

Reports suggest that Charles Leclerc's engine will not be recoverable, meaning a grid penalty is imminent for the Ferrari driver. Leclerc was already marginal on his engine components before Baku. So it seems probable he will face several engine penalties throughout the season, given that the legal limit is three engines.

FERRARI Update: la PU di LEC è andata e non è recuperabile purtroppo.
Per SAI in realtà sembra qualcosa che coinvolge il cambio. Il tempo è poco verso Montreal e le auto non passeranno per Maranello.
Troppo presto per le cause che non sono ancora note. https://t.co/P4FxIV79A6
— Giuliano Duchessa (@GiulyDuchessa) June 12, 2022

Due to the proximity of the Canadian GP, which commences in just a few days, Ferrari will have little time to conduct a thorough examination of their power units until after the race.

There are also question marks surrounding which version of their power unit Ferrari will mount for the Canadian GP, given that their upgraded engine has been a clear step backwards in reliability.

Overheating has been identified as an issue for the Scuderia's power units, but since the first power unit did not experience the heat of Spain or Miami, it remains unclear if a switch to the first power unit will make a significant difference.

Ferrari's issues ultimately emphasise the importance of reliability in F1, as the Italian squad has seen a considerable gap in the standings evaporate over the last few rounds. The next few rounds will be critical for Ferrari if they are to prevent Red Bull from further increasing the points gap.