Leclerc relishing Ferrari penalty 'challenge'

Sam Hall
Friday 17 March 2023 13:33

Charles Leclerc has revealed his excitement at the challenge of recovering positions in Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after being hit with a 10-place grid penalty.

The Monegasque is the first driver of the season to receive a grid drop after Ferrari was forced to fit a third control electronics unit to his car.

This is one beyond the prescribed limit of two for the season and comes after a string of problems in Bahrain.

Despite the setback, Leclerc is confident the weekend is not over before it has begun.

"We've broken two control units in the first race in Bahrain which, as a result, we have to take a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend so it's a bit of an uphill weekend," said Leclerc.

"But I like those challenges and I will give absolutely everything to make it a special weekend and come back to the front as quickly as possible."

Ferrari struggled against Red Bull in Bahrain with Carlos Sainz finishing 48 seconds off race winner Max Verstappen.

Analysing how the teams will stack up in Jeddah, Leclerc added: "I think we were competitive in qualifying in Bahrain. In the race, we were lacking a lot compared to Red Bull.

"Bahrain is very specific, especially in the race. I think this track fits our car characteristics."