What a dramatic Spanish GP it has been so far. The world championship race just got more intense as Charles Leclerc is forced to retire due to a power unit issue. The incident shocked fans and pundits alike as George Russell instantly took the lead in the Grand Prix.

Leclerc had an excellent start as he covered Verstappen to perfection. With the Dutchman spinning into the gravel and his persistent DRS issues, the Monegasque was in a league of his own. But Leclerc’s fate changed as his power unit stopped working as expected and now he is unfortunately out of the race.

The F1-75 came to Barcelona with huge upgrades and had an excellent start on Saturday. The championship driver took the pole yesterday after a stunning lap and, as history was on his side as the pole-sitter has won the race the majority of the times.

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The result could have a significant say in the standings. Before the race, only 19 points separated the Leclerc and Verstappen. And now with the retirement, the Dutchman is all set to close down the gap further if he does not run into any trouble.

He was clearly frustrated but remained confident. “It’s okay. We’ll come back stronger,” he said. Fans were as surprised by the incident as Leclerc and Ferrari. While Red Bull fans certainly enjoyed it, the Ferrari faithful could not believe what they had seen.

Twitter reacts to Charles Leclerc’s power unit failed

Fans certainly felt Leclerc was unfortunate. In a crucial race, this was the last thing Ferrari wished to happen.

The battle for the championship is certainly on. Verstappen could close down Leclerc or even take the lead in the drivers standing this evening.

Can the Monaco GP be kind to Leclerc? Well, his fans will certainly pray for redemption next week. But his record states otherwise.

The Ferrari upgrades have certainly not gone according to plan. They came into the weekend with big hopes. However, this result along with Sainz’s early unforced error could leave them in a spot of bother.

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Can Leclerc bounce back and put an end to his Monaco curse? We will have to wait and watch.