Ferrari has officially announced that Charles Leclerc will start the Spanish Grand Prix from the pit lane. After the problems suffered in qualifying in the FP1 session, which ended in nineteenth position, the Scuderia technicians analyzed the setup data (yesterday evening) and the single-seater this morning, just released from parc fermé.
“Since the time to check Charles’ car was limited – explained Ferrari – we decided to replace the rear axle, so as to be able to carry out an adequate investigation in Maranello”.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
However, the power unit was not replaced, with the exception of the control unit and battery pack, elements for which Leclerc was already on the verge of the penalty after the first two races of the season. This allows Charles to unmark a set of extra elements that will come in handy later in the season.
The decision to start the race from the pit lane allows the Ferrari engineers to intervene on the setup of the single-seater, adapting the car to what the weather conditions will be before the start of the race.
Read also: