After enduring a disappointing 2020 F1 season, Ferrari are making a stunning comeback this season. In the 11 races before the summer break, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz brought the Italian outfit level on points with McLaren. This is impressive, since McLaren finished third in last season’s championship, while Ferrari finished sixth.

However, the Hungarian Grand Prix provided a bag of mixed news for the Italian outfit. While Sainz steered clear of trouble, Leclerc faces a difficult time ahead due to the damage he suffered at the Hungaroring.

Charles Leclerc will garner a grid penalty for engine replacement

Leclerc qualified an impressive P7 at the Hungaroring. However, chaos on the opening lap saw Lance Stroll crash into the Monegasque. The impact of the crash didn’t just end his race, but caused massive damage to the Ferrari.

In fact, the crash damaged the power unit on Leclerc’s car as well. This forces him to field a new one for the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix. This will be the third power unit change of the season. Later this season, Leclerc revealed the Italian outfit will bring another power unit upgrade.

The 23-year-old said, “I know there will be an update, and that it will be on the hybrid part of the engine, but I don’t know yet when it will be available.” (Quotes translated from Google)

Ferrari will look to their new power unit as a trump card in getting the better of McLaren this season. Hence, they need to plan their timing perfectly since Leclerc will take a penalty for using his fourth power unit.

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Carlos Sainz is in a better position with the issue

Sainz avoided the opening lap disaster to finish third in Hungary. In addition, the third power unit he tried during free practice at the Hungaroring had a turbocharger issue, which the team resolved.

Hence, his second power unit will feature on Friday, with the third power unit likely to feature later. Although he could face a penalty along with Leclerc for the new engine, they could still challenge McLaren if they time it right.

The permutations and combinations are endless for this intense battle for third. Can Ferrari overcome an inevitable penalty with a more powerful engine unit? Or will McLaren retain their title of the ‘Best of the Rest’? One thing is certain: the next 12 races promise nothing short of high-octane drama.

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