The Ferrari Formula 1 team has confirmed that Charles Leclerc’s Power Unit from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix can’t be used again as it is “beyond repair”.
Having taken pole position for the event, Leclerc was in contention for the race win before an engine issue forced him to retire.
It marked the second time in three grands prix that the Monegasque driver had to pull to one side during a race after starting from pole position, as he incurred another problem in Barcelona.
Ferrari conducted an investigation after the race weekend in Baku, but has not confirmed the exact cause of the failure.
However, it has named one possibility being a follow-up to the issue it suffered at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Investigation confirmed Charles’ Baku PU is beyond repair,” read a statement from the team.
“One possible cause of the failure is that it occurred as a consequence of the PU problem in Spain.
“We are now working on countermeasures to strengthen the package and the situation is under control.”
Leclerc has already used three turbochargers this season, as well as two internal combustion engines, MGU-Hs and MGU-Ks.
The team is evaluating the situation and may opt to take a grid penalty for this weekend’s race in Montreal.
“Obviously we are not in the best situation possible,” Leclerc said. “For the Power Unit change I think there are still ongoing discussions.
“We will try push as much as possible the decision. For now, no decisions are taken. It’s not the best situation to be in.
“It’s up to us to choose the best track you want to get a penalty, if you get a penalty. This is one of the tracks where it is quite easy to overtake.
“But there are also some other tracks in the next three or four races where it’s easier to overtake too. We’ll discuss and try to take the best decision from there.”
