Charles Leclerc Makes Another Blunder: He Risks a Penalty
To add insult to injury for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari: following the crash at the Parabolica in Monza, there are concerns about the condition of the new power unit, which experienced another malfunction—it failed to shut down for several seconds and was exposed to the high track temperatures on Sunday. The data shows that, following the impact, the Ferrari’s engine experienced an initial sudden drop in speed, followed by peaks of approximately 8,000 RPM. According to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, the Monegasque driver likely forgot to shut off the engine before getting out of the car.
In Maranello, they are working to find a solution, but there is the possibility of replacing the engine and its components, thereby accepting the same penalty imposed on Antonelli at Monza—namely, starting from the back of the grid. Kimi fought back and won, but it’s difficult, if not impossible, to expect something like that from Leclerc right now.
For Ferrari, Monza could have significant consequences and repercussions for the future—at least as far as the 2026 championship is concerned. Charles Leclerc’s retirement has sparked endless discussions and controversy, but the latter has also focused on the battle after the start that forced Lewis Hamilton into a brief yet costly excursion into the gravel. The Briton now trails Kimi Antonelli by 76 points in the standings but holds a 36-point lead over his teammate. And this, reading between the lines of team principal Fred Vasseur’s statements, could lead to a historic and unprecedented situation as early as the upcoming Madrid Grand Prix.
“Certainly, the outcome of what happened at Turn 1 and Turn 2 isn’t positive for Ferrari, if that’s what the question was about. The best comparison I think I’ve made is with last year’s McLaren. In 2025, around the time of the Monza race, Piastri was leading the standings, but if the team had bet everything on him, Max Verstappen would have become world champion. So we, too, will undoubtedly have to make a decision at some point. Before Monza, it would have been too early; now there’s time to discuss it,” explained Vasseur.
The impression, then, is that the team is focusing on a Ferrari with a primary and secondary driver: the world championship standings suggest that Hamilton is the leader, with Leclerc supporting him—a dynamic that, on paper, hasn’t existed since 2019, when Sebastian Vettel was still at Ferrari. “So far, I’ve talked about it for two seconds with Lewis and not at all with Charles. I want to discuss it with them before I discuss it with you,” Vasseur then sidestepped the question. It’s possible, however, that as early as Madrid, we’ll see a profoundly changed dynamic between the two Ferrari drivers.
