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| Leclerc has slipped to third in the drivers' standings having led by 46 points after the third round of the season. (Photo by= EPA) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has suffered the latest of a series of blows to his title hopes with a grid penalty for excessive engine usage. Ferrari has fitted a third electronics control unit at the Canadian Grand Prix, triggering an automatic 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race, BBC Sports reported.
Teams may use only two electronics units per driver per season. Leclerc has suffered an 80-point swing in favor of title rival Max Verstappen after a series of recent problems. And he's now likely to lose further ground to the Red Bull driver in Montreal. Leclerc led Verstappen by 46 points after two victories and a second-place from the first three races, from two of which the Dutchman retired. But Leclerc has suffered two engine failures in the last three races, both times when he was in the lead.
He also lost victory in the Monaco Grand Prix after a Ferrari strategy bungle dropped him from the lead to fourth, while a spin in the closing stages of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix turned a third-place into sixth. As a result, he starts the Canadian Grand Prix 34 points behind Verstappen, who ended Friday practice fastest after an impressive day in the Red Bull. The world champion was 0.081 seconds clear of the man who until not too long ago appeared to be his title rival.
