CHARLES LECLERC SET FOR GRID PENALTY AT BAKU AFTER FERRARI ENGINE CHANGE
Charles Leclerc is expected to take a grid penalty at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Ferrari decided to introduce another ADUO2 power unit for the Monegasque driver. The change comes after the Ferrari engine used during his crash at Monza was checked and found to have no major damage.
Leclerc’s Monza race ended on the second lap after he crashed at the Parabolica. Ferrari then removed the ADUO2 power unit from his allocation for the following Spanish Grand Prix while the team carried out further checks. The engine had already been Ferrari’s latest specification and had made its race debut at Monza.
The inspections, including X-ray checks and analysis of the data from the power unit, found no significant damage. Ferrari therefore believes that the engine can still be used, but the team does not want to rely on it for the race. Instead, the Monza unit is expected to be used as a rotation engine during practice in Baku.
Ferrari is expected to install a fresh ADUO2 unit before qualifying. This would push Leclerc beyond his permitted allocation and result in a grid penalty for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had already indicated that Baku could be a suitable place to accept an engine penalty because the circuit offers several opportunities to overtake.
The Baku City Circuit is 6.003 kilometres long and combines a very fast main straight with the narrow streets of the old city. The long run towards Turn 1 is particularly important because drivers can use slipstream and braking opportunities to gain positions.
The decision is also linked to Ferrari’s ADUO2 development. ADUO, or Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities, is part of the 2026 technical regulations and allows power unit manufacturers that are behind the leading engine to introduce additional homologated upgrades. Ferrari was given two additional homologations for 2026 after the first ADUO review period.
Ferrari introduced the second ADUO package at Monza. The upgraded engine is understood to provide a performance gain compared with the previous specification, making it important for the remaining races of the season. Leclerc was forced to use the older specification at the Spanish Grand Prix because Ferrari did not want to risk the Monza engine before completing its checks.
If the new engine is introduced as expected, Leclerc will therefore begin the Baku weekend knowing that he is likely to start from the back of the grid or close to it, depending on the final penalty situation. The exact starting position will only be confirmed once the FIA publishes the official grid and Ferrari confirms the final power unit allocation.
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