A possible engine penalty awaits Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at Baku.
Ferrari grabbed the lion's share of today's Formula One news, as they have plenty to think about before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend. Do they decide to serve an engine penalty for Charles Leclerc at Baku? And would they aggressively continue to develop the SF-26, even with Lewis Hamilton seemingly out of championship contention?
Leclerc might start at the back of the grid at Baku
Charles Leclerc, one of the best one-lap qualifiers in the streets of Baku, might serve an engine penalty in the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 24-26. Leclerc damaged his new ADUO2 engine during his crash at Monza, but the team found the engine in "recoverable" condition.
However, Ferrari might still give the Monegasque driver a new engine at Baku, which would force him to exceed his 2026 engine allocation. So, no matter where Leclerc qualifies on Friday next week, he will start at the back of the grid.
Hamilton denies pushing for any personnel changes
Early this week, an Italian newspaper reported that Lewis Hamilton is pushing for personnel changes within Ferrari's trackside engineering team. However, the British driver defiantly denied the allegations, saying that he never asked anyone to be replaced.
The allegations might have stemmed from Hamilton's frustrating radio messages during the Dutch Grand Prix. But there's no truth to those allegations now, so the Tifosi shouldn't be concerned about this matter anymore.
Alonso wants an engine review
After another painful race at the Spanish Grand Prix, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has requested the team to investigate their power unit that weekend. The Spanish driver, who won the Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006, said that the Honda power unit was "very bad" on Sunday.
Alonso also mentioned that he almost always stalled on his pit stops, and the engine struggled when he had to let other drivers pass by during the blue flags. Recently, the Honda F1 power unit development programme had a leadership turnover, as they continue to fix their struggles this season.
Ferrari is still focusing on the SF-26
Even with Hamilton now 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari says that they'll continue developing their current 2026 challenger. Team principal Fred Vasseur mentioned that 80% of Ferrari's current development work will carry over to the 2027 car, so it makes sense to continue upgrading its performance.
Ferrari has treaded lukewarm waters this season, going back and forth with good and bad performances every weekend. When Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya GP, there was hope that he could challenge Antonelli's grasp at the championship.
But the Scuderia has regressed in the last few races, dampening the Tifosi's hopes of a championship this season.
