Ferrari has received encouraging news over Charles Leclerc’s ADUO 2 power unit following his frightening crash at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Initial checks carried out at Maranello have found no major failures or damage that would make the engine unusable, although the definitive verdict will only come when the unit is run under load again on track.
The heavy impact at Monza had raised concerns that the consequences could extend beyond the damage to Charles Leclerc’s SF-26. In particular, attention turned to the engine because it remained running for some time after the crash at Parabolica, creating fears that Ferrari might lose a relatively fresh unit equipped with its latest ADUO 2 development and potentially face difficult power-unit decisions ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Ferrari investigates Charles Leclerc’s ADUO 2 engine after Monza crash
Ferrari arrives at the next round needing to reset after a turbulent home weekend at Monza, both on and off the track. The team must move on from the disappointment surrounding the Italian Grand Prix and the controversy generated by Lewis Hamilton’s comments in front of the cameras. The most important news is that Charles Leclerc is well and, following his medical checks after the Monza accident, there is no concern over his participation in Madrid.
However, Ferrari also had to establish the condition of the SF-26 and, above all, its power unit after the violent accident at Parabolica. The engine became a particular concern because of what happened immediately after the impact, an issue also highlighted by telemetry from Charles Leclerc’s Monza crash.
Could Ferrari face a power-unit penalty with Charles Leclerc?
Federico Albano was among the first to draw attention to the potential problem, writing on X: “Leclerc’s engine remained running for quite a while after the impact. We’ll see whether it has to be thrown away.” The behaviour was clearly visible both in the telemetry and from Charles Leclerc’s onboard footage.
When a Formula 1 power unit continues running without the car operating normally, there can be a risk of serious damage, particularly in the high temperatures experienced at Monza. Ferrari therefore carried out detailed checks at Maranello to determine whether the engine had suffered damage severe enough to prevent its further use.
Losing the unit would have been particularly costly because it is a relatively fresh power unit incorporating the additional performance associated with Ferrari’s latest ADUO 2 specification. The Ferrari ADUO 2 development represents an important part of the Scuderia’s current power-unit programme, making the condition of Charles Leclerc’s engine especially significant for the remainder of the season.
AutoRacer.it had indicated that Ferrari intended to decide what to do with the power unit by Tuesday evening before sending the necessary equipment to the Spanish capital on Wednesday morning.
Initial Maranello checks bring encouraging verdict on ADUO 2
A power-unit penalty at the new circuit hosting the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix would represent a significant disadvantage, even if Ferrari fitted another fresh specification equipped with ADUO 2. Madrid is an entirely new challenge on the Formula 1 calendar, meaning teams and drivers will arrive with fewer established reference points and more uncertainties to resolve than at familiar venues.
After Ferrari’s technicians completed their initial inspections, however, the picture became considerably more reassuring. Giuliano Duchessa reported: “The first in-depth checks carried out today on Ferrari number 16 have produced a much more reassuring picture compared with the fears immediately after the heavy Monza impact. Leclerc’s PU appears to have been saved. The checks carried out at the factory have not revealed any major breakages or failures and, as things stand, the unit remains usable. Clearly, definitive confirmation will be required on track, when it returns to working under load and in real operating conditions, but the examinations carried out at Maranello have not revealed any significant problems.”
The situation therefore still requires some caution because static factory inspections cannot reproduce every condition the power unit will encounter on a race weekend. Nevertheless, the fact that Ferrari has not found damage severe enough to write off the engine is already positive news ahead of the trip to Formula 1’s new Madrid circuit.
Ferrari chassis survives as gearbox will be replaced for Madrid
The checks have also brought good news regarding the SF-26 chassis. Despite the severity of Charles Leclerc’s impact, Ferrari has not identified structural damage serious enough to require the chassis to be replaced.
The gearbox, however, will be changed for the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari can make that replacement without Charles Leclerc receiving a grid penalty, removing another immediate concern ahead of the Madrid weekend.
A power-unit penalty could still be considered later in the season, but such a decision would form part of Ferrari’s broader engine-management strategy rather than being a direct consequence of the Monza accident. The same consideration applies to both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari may eventually choose a circuit at which to take a penalty in order to introduce another power-unit specification and maintain a fresher engine in each driver’s available pool.
For now, therefore, Charles Leclerc’s Monza crash does not appear to have forced Ferrari to alter its technical planning. The ADUO 2 power unit remains available based on the first Maranello inspections, the chassis does not require replacement and the gearbox change can be completed without a penalty. The final confirmation on the engine will come when Ferrari runs it again under genuine track conditions in Madrid.
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