In recent weeks, much had been said about the rotation of Charles Leclerc’s power units. The Monegasque replaced the last elements available under regulations during the Dutch GP, which means that once the Las Vegas GP is concluded, he will have gone eight consecutive events without being able to resort to new units (fresh parts, that is). If Ferrari decides not to replace anything between now and Abu Dhabi, the count would rise to ten.
Even though replacing the ICE, as Max Verstappen did in the last GP, would have resulted in a five-place grid penalty, the Las Vegas circuit, one of the final stops on the calendar, was undoubtedly the most suitable venue. With low temperatures causing significant tire degradation, overtaking opportunities guaranteed, and the added benefit of having a new unit on the long straights of the Nevada track, the decision would have been more than justified.
The differences between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in qualifying
This is demonstrated by Carlos Sainz, who, unlike Charles Leclerc, replaced all power unit components in Brazil, taking advantage of an error in qualifying. This allowed him to put 373 milliseconds between himself and his teammate. The advantage was entirely gained in the first and third sectors, where the engine is most heavily stressed.
If we compare the best sector times, Charles was 286 milliseconds slower than Carlos Sainz in S1 and a full tenth slower in S3. In S2, the more technical section, the two were evenly matched, with Charles Leclerc even managing to do slightly better.
Ferrari’s gamble
Tomorrow, Charles Leclerc will start from fourth position with the risk of running a GP where the throttle will remain fully open for over 70% of the lap, using a worn power unit that, for obvious reasons, cannot deliver peak performance and might even fail at any moment.
Surely Ferrari will have done its calculations, and now both the fans and Charles Leclerc himself will have to trust in them. However, this decision not to change the engine perhaps resembles more of a gamble, a practice well-known in Las Vegas.
Looking at Carlos Sainz’s performance—second place on the grid—with a new engine, Charles Leclerc could have secured second or third in qualifying, which would have placed him starting from 7th or 8th but with the advantage of a new unit for both Nevada and the upcoming events. Only time will tell if Ferrari has made the right choice or not.
