Charles Leclerc has come under investigation following an incident with Lando Norris during FP2 at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver now faces the risk of a significant grid penalty for Sunday’s race.
The drama unfolded in the final minutes of the second practice session at Marina Bay. A major miscommunication in the Ferrari garage has left Leclerc under scrutiny and Ferrari potentially at risk of a penalty. Here’s a breakdown of what happened.
The incident
With FP2 nearing its conclusion, all drivers were stationary in the pits due to a red flag caused by Liam Lawson’s crash. When the session was restarted, the pit lane quickly descended into chaos. Teams sent cars out simultaneously to make the most of the remaining minutes for both qualifying and race pace simulations.
During this rush, a serious misunderstanding between Leclerc and his chief mechanic led to disaster. As he entered the fast lane, Charles Leclerc did not notice Lando Norris’ McLaren approaching. Contact between the two cars was unavoidable. The MCL39 sustained a hit that pushed Norris into the pit lane wall, forcing the McLaren mechanics to retrieve the car and replace the front wing.
Investigation and potential penalty
The stewards immediately opened an investigation into Charles Leclerc. A penalty for the Ferrari number 16 cannot be ruled out. The options are likely twofold: either a fine, which is common for unsafe releases during practice sessions, or a grid drop of two to three positions, similar to the penalty handed to Lance Stroll in Monaco.
Such a sanction would make Ferrari’s weekend even more challenging, especially considering the Marina Bay street circuit’s layout, where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Update
Charles Leclerc has been summoned by the stewards at 22:30 local time (16:30 Central European Time) for further clarification on the incident.
Here is the video of the incident:
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