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Charles Leclerc is hopeful that Ferrari will be able to salvage the upgraded engine that sustained damage during his heavy crash at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
On lap 24, Leclerc crashed heavily at the Parabolica corner, severely damaging the car and prompting a red flag stoppage.
For the first time on the team's home track, Charles Leclerc utilized Ferrari's new, upgraded engine, built according to ADUO regulations. However, this power unit was not in the car for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid a week later, as engineers continue to inspect the unit to determine if it can be reused.
If the damage proves irreparable, Leclerc would be forced to use a new iteration of the ADUO upgrades, thereby incurring a grid penalty for exceeding the permitted number of power unit components.
However, the driver remains optimistic that such a scenario can be avoided.
"As far as I know, they are still checking it; we will see," Leclerc stated. "I mean, I don't know yet. If we can save it, that would be great. If not, then I will probably face a penalty at some point."
Regarding Ferrari's engine performance overall, Leclerc believes the Scuderia needs to improve its single-lap pace during qualifying to secure better results on race day.
"I certainly think our car is strong in race pace, but we just need to try and understand how to unlock better performance in qualifying," he said.
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