What Went Wrong With Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari F1 Challenger Triggering Tragic Spanish GP Ending

What seemed like a comfortable victory for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc quickly changed as Leclerc coasted into the pits on Lap 27. What seemed like a turbo failure as reported by the Monegasque, has now been confirmed by Ferrari. The statement read, “After examining the power unit, we found that the turbo and the MGU-H were damaged and can no longer be repaired.”

While Ferrari’s engines have been very reliable for the first five races, this is a grave concern. In comparison, their title rivals at Red Bull have already suffered two engine-related retirements with Max Verstappen.

But apart from Max and Red Bull taking the lead in the championships, there is more pain for Ferrari. 

“The problem occurred without warning,” explained Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto. “The first indication that something was wrong came over the radio from Charles.”

READ MORE: Spanish GP Wounds Worsen as Carlos Sainz Faces Harsh Criticism for Ferrari F1 Disappointment

Charles had taken his second power unit pretty early in Miami, indicating that he will have to change to a third MGU-H and turbo at the very least. This brings the issue of a possible engine penalty later on in the season. As early as Monaco, there could be a usage of a third engine or maybe a new engine from the parts of the first and second. 

Valtteri Bottas’s engine failure during FP2 in Barcelona proves the first-generation engine has some problems. Ferrari could be looking at a grid penalty in the second half of the season. 

Why Ferrari must-win races from now on?

While Ferrari refuses to divulge the exact nature of the failure, it’s clear that it has bigger problems ahead. Leclerc’s engine failure and Carlos getting caught out by the wind cost the Maranello outfit a big amount of points.

Charles currently trails Verstappen by six points, going into round seven in Monaco. In the constructor standings, the Milton Keynes-based outfit is twenty-six points ahead of the Scarlet red team. 

Ferrari and Red Bull have been trading wins and podiums from the beginning of the season. Apart from the on-track battle, the off-track battle in the factory has also been raging. And hence the development has started to intensify between the two teams. 

“After five races of development for Red Bull and zero for us, we were locking out the front row in Miami and in the fight for the win and the podium,” Carlos Sainz said to Sky Sports.

WATCH THE STORY: Ferrari Strategy Fails We Will Never Forget

“I trust the team, I trust what we are doing back at home. I think we have the right ideas.

And Ferrari’s Barcelona upgrades did work. Not only did they out-qualify Max Verstappen for pole, but they also addressed the problems of their cars. The F1-75 had less tire wear and also had great pace.

The next few races will be crucial, and it will be important for Ferrari to return to the top step as they chase glory in 2022.