Two changes in one weekend
The Miami Grand Prix weekend did not start well for Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who took part in the first free practice session with a new MGU-K (the second of the 2023 Formula 1 championship) and a new gearbox. However, for the Monegasque driver, this was the second component, which had a short life: following the impact with the barriers in the final moments of the qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix, the Ferrari technicians decided to replace the gearbox for car number 16 again, using the third unit available for the current season.
No penalty
This news does not mean a penalty for Charles Leclerc, as the maximum number of replacements allowed before incurring a penalty is four, the same as for MGU-K. However, the double replacement within a single weekend is not good news for the Maranello team, which had already carried out the same operation with Carlos Sainz’s car, who is in a more comfortable situation than his Maranello teammate.
Not just Ferrari
Unlike the poleman of the last Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Spanish driver used the second available unit, one less than Charles Leclerc will use later today in the Florida Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2023 F1 championship. However, it is noteworthy that the same problem Charles Leclerc is experiencing also affects championship leader Max Verstappen. During this weekend, the International Federation announced the replacement of the gearbox for the Red Bull driver, who has also used up three units out of four available before penalties have to be taken.
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