Leclerc set for Baku grid penalty with new Ferrari power unit
Ferrari will fit Charles Leclerc a fresh ADUO2 power unit for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Inspections confirmed his crash-damaged Monza engine is usable, yet the team plans to run it only in practice sessions before switching to the new unit, triggering a grid penalty on a track suited to recovery.
Monza engine survives checks
Inspections including X-ray analysis found no terminal damage to the ADUO2 power unit from Charles Leclerc's Monza crash. [1] Ferrari can therefore retain the unit in his allocation rather than write it off.
The team will nevertheless introduce a new ADUO2 unit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Leclerc is expected to run the recovered Monza engine only during Friday practice sessions in Baku before the switch ahead of qualifying and the race. [1]
Penalty unavoidable
Leclerc has already used his fourth and final internal combustion engine allocation for the season at Monza. The additional unit in Baku will exceed the limit and bring a grid penalty. [2]
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur indicated after the Spanish Grand Prix that Baku offers a suitable venue for the penalty. [2]
Related reading
- [1]F1 | Ferrari: il motore di Monza è ok anche ai raggi X, ma Leclerc a Baku avrà un nuovo ADUO2 (motorsport). Accessed 2026-09-18.
- [2]Charles Leclerc penalty misery as Ferrari boss confirms punishment (express). Accessed 2026-09-18.
- [3]Ferrari F1 empieza mal el GP de Azerbaiyán: Charles Leclerc penalizará por cambio en el motor (caranddriver). Accessed 2026-09-18.