Verstappen can go for P15 after Leclerc loses starting grid advantage

F1 News

27 August 2022 at 14:21
Last update 27 August 2022 at 14:49
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  • GPblog.com

Ferrari seemed to have got away with the grid penalties by some clever trickery, but after changing more parts of Charles Leclerc's car, that advantage has now disappeared.

No advantage for Leclerc after all

The FIA confirms that at 13:00 on 27 August (the Saturday of the Belgian GP), Leclerc's F1-75 has undergone some major changes, which carry a twenty-place grid penalty. On Friday, Ferrari split the parts change over several sessions to avoid a sixteen-place grid penalty. Anything above sixteen places results in a start from the back. With Saturday's twenty-place grid penalty, Leclerc will still be put in the group of drivers that have to start from the back of the grid.

Leclerc will now fight again against Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Guanyu Zhou, Mick Schumacher and Esteban Ocon for starting position. It is likely that out of this group of six drivers, it will be Verstappen and Leclerc who will fight for the best starting position. The bottom line is that we will have at least one interesting pole sitter in Belgium, as Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz have the best papers. But there will also be an interesting fight for P15. To trump each other, Verstappen and Leclerc will have to go through all three qualifying sessions. Possibly Verstappen or Leclerc will even drive the fastest time.

Bottas deflects battle for P14

In the case of Valtteri Bottas, the loophole Ferrari had found for Leclerc seems to be working. According to the FIA, the Finn first received a penalty of fifteen grid places and for the second practice a penalty of ten places. A document from the FIA today shows that the second penalty of ten places has been restored to five places. So Bottas does not seem to be put at the back of the grid, but he does have a combined twenty-place grid penalty. Therefore, the situation still remains difficult to assess, but judging by the FIA's reporting, Bottas does not have to fight along with the drivers who have been placed at the back.